Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella and [West Ham](https://westhamworld.co.uk/tag/west-ham/) winger Adama Traoré have finally laughed off their viral touchline bust-up — after an awkward but amusing reunion on Spanish television.
The pair clashed dramatically during last weekend’s fiery London derby, which ended in a late 3–2 victory for Chelsea. Tempers boiled over deep into stoppage time after Enzo Fernández struck the winning goal, with Traoré flooring Cucurella near the touchline in a moment that quickly spread across social media.
João Pedro rushed in to back up his teammate, sparking a brief confrontation that resulted in yellow cards for both Traoré and Pedro, while Cucurella escaped punishment.
Now, the Chelsea left-back has explained exactly what happened — and admitted he was very much part of the problem.
[Speaking on Spanish TV show _3 Cat Fanzone_](https://www.instagram.com/p/DUadcc6CIwW/), Cucurella confessed that he deliberately tried to wind Traoré up late in the game.
“It was late in the game,” he said. “We were barging into one another and I felt myself very close to him, and I thought, well, I’m going to stick my head in here to see if I can stir things up a bit.
“He grabbed me, threw me where he could, and a big brawl broke out.”
Despite the flashpoint, Cucurella was keen to downplay any lasting bad blood — though he did joke about the fallout away from the pitch.
“These are things that happen. I have no problem. Although if I ran into him on the street, I’d hesitate to say hello after this.”
What Cucurella didn’t realise was that he wouldn’t have to wait long to test that theory.
To his surprise, Traoré then appeared live on the same show, prompting an awkward pause before the West Ham winger offered his own explanation.
“He’s a really good guy,” Traoré said of Cucurella. “It’s nothing personal and there will never be. It all stays on the pitch, it was just the heat of the moment.
“I really didn’t mean to do it, it wasn’t my intention. I just wanted to talk to the linesman.”
The tension finally broke when Cucurella cracked a smile and quipped: “Now I’m calm because there’s a screen between us.”
Both players burst out laughing, putting a definitive end to the saga.
Still, if they cross paths again on the pitch any time soon… let’s just say most people would be backing Traoré in that rematch.