In the Champions League, Chelsea defeated Barcelona 3-0 at home, with Marc Cucurella named Man of the Match. After the game, camel.live analyzed the reasons why the Spanish first-choice full-back left Barcelona back in the day.
The 27-year-old Cucurella was once considered a niche player, but his performances have far exceeded expectations. A former coach described him: “He’s neither fast nor strong, and he didn’t stand out in any of the tests we did. In other words, you’d never sign him. But he’s an intelligent player who makes the right choices, and you’d always put him on the pitch.”
These words perfectly define Cucurella at that time: a player better than he seemed on the surface. In fact, Cucurella’s statistics prove this, but it takes in-depth analysis of big data to discover. The numbers show he is one of the most influential players in the Premier League, whether in a three-center-back system or as a full-back. Therefore, his performances at Brighton quickly attracted the attention of top Premier League clubs Chelsea and Manchester City.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City was particularly interested in his passing accuracy (around 82% success rate), but Cucurella was equally excellent in attack, defense, and ball retention. City believed he could adapt quickly, but it was Chelsea who ultimately signed him for a fixed transfer fee of €65 million plus €7 million in add-ons.
Chelsea acquired a versatile player capable of playing as a full-back, center-back, wing-back, and even winger, as well as a competitor with Puyol-like spirit. After several loan spells (Eibar and Getafe) and a breakout at Brighton, Cucurella got his chance at a top club.
Why did Barcelona let Cucurella go?
Cucurella’s value soared from €10 million (the fee Getafe paid Barcelona in 2020 to buy 90% of the player’s rights) to several times that amount. For two short years, this question has plagued Barcelona fans: why did the club let such a player leave?
To understand why Cucurella left Barcelona, we need to go back to the summer of 2018, a turning point in the club’s sports strategy. That season, Barcelona decided to sell Lucas Digne to Everton for €20 million and did not look for a replacement in the market, instead relying on the youth academy to nurture a new left-back.
Then-manager Ernesto Valverde evaluated the two most promising left-backs: Cucurella and Juan Miranda. Although initially feeling Cucurella had a better chance, pre-season performances led Valverde to choose Miranda, who he believed was more attacking.
For Cucurella, this was a difficult time. He had joined Barcelona from Espanyol’s youth academy but failed to get opportunities in the first team. The lack of playing time prompted him to accept a loan move to Eibar, as he realized the club did not trust him.
Valverde’s Attitude
Despite Cucurella’s impressive performances at Eibar, Valverde did not change his mind, and the player’s best option was to seek a new path. At Eibar, Cucurella showcased his ability in La Liga, especially with an outstanding display against Real Madrid.
Although Barcelona recalled him, it was only to sell him for a good price. Cucurella was once again excluded from pre-season training, before being loaned to Getafe, where he proved himself again.
Subsequently, Cucurella moved to the Premier League, showing his best form at Brighton and Chelsea to become one of the world’s top left-backs. His performances at the European Championship further solidified his status.
At Chelsea, he has gone from being heavily criticized to much-loved. “He’s a stubborn man,” those around him say. “He keeps working hard and has shown his tenacious competitive spirit again. In his first season, he played under three coaches and even featured as a right-back under Mauricio Pochettino. But under Enzo Maresca, he has reached new heights.”
At Barcelona, what they lacked was patience. Like Puyol, Cucurella possesses that special spirit that makes a team a true unit. When facing some of the world’s most difficult players to defend against, Cucurella has shown extraordinary ability.
