Former player takes a dig at new Real Madrid signing over Spain performance – “Not performing for the club”
Real Madrid spent significant money to reinforce the squad in the summer, bringing in close to seven new players.
Among them was Marc Cucurella, the Spain left-back who had enjoyed an excellent World Cup after a solid couple of seasons with Chelsea.
However, Cucurella has endured a mixed start to life at the Santiago Bernabeu. His contrasting performances for Real Madrid and Spain have attracted attention.
Former Spain international Salva Ballesta has pointed to the dramatic improvement he sees whenever the defender joins the national team.
Cucurella looks different with Spain
As quoted by Defensa Central, Ballesta said that the left-back has not reached the same level at Madrid that he consistently produces for Spain.
“There are players who aren’t performing at the same level at their clubs, but they join the national team and triple their level, like Cucurella,” Ballesta said.
Cucurella only arrived at the Bernabeu this summer and has been adapting to Mourinho’s system.
Marc Cucurella is just settling into life at Real Madrid. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Spain provide a far more familiar environment. Their positional structure and emphasis on controlled possession allow Cucurella to operate differently.
Madrid, by comparison, have frequently played at greater speed. Their attacking players want to break quickly, which can leave the full-backs covering considerably more space when possession is lost.
Cucurella himself has acknowledged those stylistic differences and stressed that Madrid are still building the foundations of Mourinho’s project.
Madrid must find his Spain level
If Cucurella can consistently perform at an elite level for Spain, the question is not whether the quality exists.
Madrid’s challenge is finding the conditions that allow him to reproduce it at club level and ensuring that the threefold difference is not visible.
Mourinho does not need to copy Spain’s system, but greater balance around Cucurella could help.
It is way too early to pass a judgement on Marc Cucurella. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
His aggression and energy are most effective when he can step forward confidently without constantly worrying about huge spaces appearing behind him.
Having someone like Vinicius Junior ahead of him also does not help the Spaniard. The Brazilian is not the most defensively inclined, and this often leaves Cucurella to deal with situations on his own.
It is still early days for Mourinho’s project at Madrid, and there is no doubting Cucurella’s innate quality.
As the players settle in and the system begins to take shape, do not be surprised to see the Spaniard become one of Mourinho’s most important players in the coming months.
