Following Spain’s triumph over England in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday night, Marc Cucurella and his girlfriend Claudia Rodriguez had a pointed response to Gary Neville’s earlier criticism.
There were initial doubts regarding Cucurella’s inclusion in Luis de la Fuente’s squad for the tournament. Despite these concerns, the Chelsea defender emerged as one of Spain’s unexpected standout players in the competition.
Gary Neville, however, had previously singled out Cucurella as a potential weak link for Spain before their opening group match, where Spain convincingly defeated Croatia 3-0. On June 15, Neville remarked to ITV, “We weren’t expecting him to play.”
Cucurella, seizing the moment after Spain’s victory over England, addressed Neville’s earlier comments on Instagram. Likewise, Claudia Rodriguez, Cucurella’s girlfriend, did not hold back her criticism of Neville following Spain’s win in the European Championship final.
Despite Cucurella’s lackluster performances for Chelsea towards the end of the season, he displayed tenacity and aggression as a full-back. Neville acknowledged this but expressed surprise at the hefty price tag Chelsea paid for him. “To be fair, I believe the price tag still surprises many to this day,” Neville commented.
Neville also pointed out that, despite Spain’s experienced defense, there was something about the team that did not inspire confidence in their ability to secure victories. He candidly admitted, “And I have to admit, another reason we think so is probably because of him [Cucurella] playing left back.”
However, Neville’s criticism backfired after Spain’s success against Southgate’s team. Both Cucurella and Rodriguez took to Instagram to call out the former Manchester United and England defender. Rodriguez posted a picture of Cucurella celebrating the win and sarcastically asked, “How was your night, @gneville2?” Cucurella, on his part, shared a photo of himself celebrating and included a snippet of Neville’s earlier criticism, writing, “We went all the way Gary. I appreciate your help.”
In his post-match interview with TVE at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Cucurella reflected on Spain’s journey, saying, “Nobody gave us a chance. We simply said nothing, and we ended up winning the Euros. We demonstrated that we are capable of both playing and suffering. We endured suffering as a unit. We were a group of players when we got there. We are a family now.”
Cucurella’s response underscores the determination and unity that propelled Spain to victory. His and Rodriguez’s social media posts highlight a personal vindication against Neville’s earlier skepticism, celebrating Spain’s collective resilience and triumph.
