REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
It's been a summer of change at Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are looking to embark on a new era, having returned to an old manager in Jose Mourinho.
The former Los Blancos coach, who left in 2013 after three seasons with the club, has already overseen some key transfers as well. Yan Diomande is the biggest spend, but the likes of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, and Bernardo Silva all give a new feel to Madrid ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Another key arrival looks to be the purchase of Marc Cucurella from Chelsea for around £51m. The Spanish left-back was signed just before the World Cup, and then went on to win that tournament as one of the standout players.
After a brief holiday, he's now linked up with his new teammates and made his debut for the club over the weekend.
EPL_Real Madrid Salary
EPL_Real Madrid Salary
Crowd Jeers Cucurella During His First Madrid Outing
Many would expect excitement over Cucurella's debut, but eye-opening footage has shown that the 28-year-old was loudly booed in his first outing for Real Madrid. In clips online, the crowd can be heard jeering and whistling whenever the Spaniard touched the ball.
Cucurella played just 29 minutes in the friendly match against Schalke 04, as Kylian Mbappe, Dean Huijsen, and Carlos Espi all got on the score sheet to hand Mourinho's side a 3-0 victory. In that cameo off the bench, the Spanish left-back did not do anything wrong to provoke the boos, but rather it relates to a past issue.
As the game was played in Schalke 04's Arena AufSchalke stadium in Gelsenkirchen, it's now clear that the German fans have still not forgiven Cucurella for an incident at Euro 2024. Spain would win that tournament, but they were helped by a controversial call in the quarter-finals.
Coming up against tournament hosts Germany in Stuttgart, Luis de la Fuente's men were taken to extra-time. Mikel Merino then netted a 119th-minute winner to send his team into the semis, but not before Cucurella got away with a big call from the officials.
Jamal Musiala had struck a dangerous shot at goal, but as it looked set to trouble Unai Simon, the ball hit Cucurella on the hand. The Germans were outraged as no penalty was given.
An explanation later claimed his 'arm [was] close to the side, pointing predominantly down/vertically, and/or in a position behind line of the body.' Despite the reasoning, the German fans remained furious with the Spanish left-back throughout the remainder of the tournament and could be heard booing him in the semi-final against France.
After the game, Cucurella hit out at the crowd, saying:
"These are things that happen, I'm not to blame for anything. I don't know what they were trying to achieve with that, but that's the way it is."
Your browser does not support the video tag.
Cucurella Has Been Booed in Germany Since Euro 2024
REUTERS/Lisi Niesner
Remarkably, Cucurella has been booed when returning to Germany in the two years since. In the summer of 2025, Spain took on Portugal in the Nations League final. The game was held in the Allianz Arena in Munich, and booes could be heard for the left-back throughout the night.
And now playing in Gelsenkirchen for the first time as a Real Madrid player, jeers could once again be heard for the 28-year-old. Despite that, Cucurella did not seem bothered as he instead focused on the positives post-game, telling the press:
"I'm very happy. I think it was a good game from everyone, and it's our last result before starting the league. They're my first minutes. It was a long wait, I'm finding my rhythm and I'm looking forward to getting started in the league."