Ahead of the World Cup semi-final against France, Cucurella gave an interview to Catalan media 3Cat, discussing the threat posed by the French team, the characteristics of Dembele and Yamal, and his decision to join Real Madrid.
How have you been lately? Is everything going smoothly over there?
Very good, everything is fine.
I was just thinking that your performance in this interview might determine whether we forgive you for the decision you made this summer.
I felt these things were bound to happen. This was a fantastic opportunity for me and my family, and I had to seize it. We are very happy with this decision. Getting to where I am today hasn't been easy. I believe this opportunity is what I deserve, and it's also the best choice for me.
This has certainly been a very special summer. You joined Real Madrid, and now you're standing on the doorstep of the World Cup final, about to face France in the semi-finals. Do you have time to process all of this? How are you feeling right now?
It feels great, I'm very happy. It's true, life here is pretty much the same every day; we're like in a closed environment, unable to see what's happening outside. However, I'm satisfied with everything so far. I've worked very hard to get to where I am today. Now, the most important thing is to enjoy the experience, and I think that's very important. We deserve to be here, and we're doing very well in many ways.
Roger just mentioned the World Cup semi-final. Spain has only conceded one goal so far, but France looks set to be a real test in attack.
They have a lot of excellent players up front, people who can change the game at any time. However, I think we've been doing a good job defensively. This is going to be a very exciting game.
Our matches against France are usually very close, often decided by the smallest details. Hopefully, we can prepare well, be in top form, and deliver a thrilling semi-final.
Theoretically, you might be directly matched up against Dembele. You've already faced him against him when Chelsea played Paris Saint-Germain. However, these French players seem to prefer moving centrally rather than staying on the wings. Will you make special preparations for these one-on-one duels? Will you spend a lot of time studying the player you're assigned to mark?
I won't dwell on these things too much. Whether it's luck or bad luck, I've seen some of these players on TV before, and I've even played against some of them in matches, so I have some understanding of their characteristics. If I encounter a player I've never played against before and am not very familiar with, I'll watch some videos to get a general idea of his playing style and habits.
However, everyone is quite familiar with each other now. Once the match starts, it's more important to judge based on the situation on the field, and the most important thing is to make the opponent uncomfortable.
Who do you think is harder to defend between Dembele and Lamin Yamar?
Well… to be honest, I don’t know either. Dembele can handle the ball with both feet, which makes him more difficult to defend. But I think Lamin has some very special qualities. Considering his age and what he has already accomplished, he is a very special player.
I've only faced him once in an official match, but I've seen his strengths in training. He has a great body orientation when receiving the ball; he almost always faces the ball directly and rarely turns his back to the defender. I think it's really difficult to dispossess him or completely contain him.
So far, the French team seems to have reached this stage relatively easily, at least with less difficulty than other teams. Facing such an opponent, do you feel pressure or even fear?
I think this issue can be viewed from two perspectives. On one hand, you know very well that you have to play a near-perfect game to have any chance of beating them, because they are in very good form right now. Especially their forwards, who could score at any time, in any attack.
On the other hand, I think so far no team has really put them in a difficult position.
If we can win the ball back from them and play our own way, we might make them uncomfortable. Then we can see how they react, because at least for now, I don't think any team has really pushed them to the brink.
This is going to be a very exciting semi-final. If you could choose your opponent in the final, who would you choose?
I think I would choose Argentina. First, they are the reigning World Cup champions. Second, facing Argentina and Messi in the World Cup final would be a very special experience.
Furthermore, we didn't get to play that European and American Cup match. Since that match didn't happen, I think the World Cup final would be a great opportunity for the two teams to truly compete and see who is stronger.
Roger just mentioned your move to Real Madrid. I think you know that many Barcelona fans don't understand this decision. You left the Premier League, where you developed into a star player, and returned to La Liga. Was this decision entirely based on competitive considerations, or were there also significant personal factors involved?
The main reason is related to the sport. I was very happy at Chelsea. To be honest, this transfer was unexpected and not in my plan.
However, it's crucial that a team like Real Madrid approaches you and is willing to trust you. Also, it means returning to Spain. We've lived abroad for a long time, and even just being closer to family makes a difference. Being able to return to Spain, to my home country, is equally appealing. But 90% of the reason is still related to the sport.
Has Barcelona never contacted you?
No, to be honest, they never contacted me. I can understand that some people don't understand my decision. Fans tend to be more emotional, but those of us who are in the football environment every day know the reality better. There are many things that aren't made public. Ultimately, I think I made the right choice. This was a unique opportunity, and I had to seize it. I'm very happy with this decision.
When you first talked about this transfer, you mentioned your upbringing at La Masia, and I really liked that. Playing for Real Madrid now doesn't mean you're negating everything from the past, right?
Of course not, these two things are completely unrelated. My career consists of different phases. I've always said that much of what I have now, and much of what I've learned, comes from La Masia. I am very satisfied and very proud of everything La Masia has given me.
However, I later had to make other choices, seeking a new direction for my career and continuing to grow. Now, at another stage of my life, I need to make another important decision. I am full of anticipation and believe that time will prove it to be the right choice.
One downside is that you just joined Real Madrid, but you have to train in a closed camp with a group of Barcelona players for a month and a half. Did they often tease you about it?
No, to be honest, we get along very well. They do joke around, saying we'll be rivals from now on, and that we can still chat even with only a month left. But we really have a good relationship, that's obvious. I'm also happy to still be in the same locker room with them. It'll be a different story once the league starts. We'll be rivals during regular season, but we'll put that aside for now when it comes to national team matches.
The last question, and also the most difficult one in this interview, is this: A few weeks ago, you promised on COPE radio that if Spain won the World Cup, you would get Luis de la Fuente's face tattooed on your body? This is a three-part question: What were you thinking at the time? As the team got closer to the final, how many times did you regret it? If you actually won, would you have preferred to replace him with Mikel Merino?
Well… actually, I hadn’t fully thought it through at the time. You could say I only considered half of it, because I knew everyone would want me to shave my head, but I felt that shaving my head was unrealistic. So I thought I had to make a promise that carried equal weight, so I said, “Then let’s get a tattoo.”
Now my family and brother have started asking me what I'm planning to do. To be honest, I haven't seriously considered the tattoo yet. But since I've already said it, I guess I'll just have to go ahead. I didn't really think too much about it at the time, but if in the end it's just about fulfilling a promise, then it's fine.
You really will keep your promise, right? If you win the championship, you're the kind of person who keeps his word.
Yes, I must keep my promise, I definitely will. They'll definitely put pressure on me then, I'll have to show off my tattoo. But I'll get a henna tattoo instead.
I can already see the needle and the ink, Kuku. And there's still a lot of empty space in your right arm.
Yes, but you can't just get it tattooed anywhere. Otherwise, you might not be able to wear short sleeves anymore, so you have to choose a more discreet location.
