Marc Cucurella says there were no doubts about joining Real Madrid after leaving Chelsea, and the move now looks like the latest test he wants rather than the sort of switch a player overthinks. Real Madrid signed him earlier in the summer for up to €60 million, and Cucurella is already speaking about the Bernabéu as a place he wants to experience from the inside.

Bernabéu nights and a move he welcomed

“I think it's very hard to turn down the opportunity to play for a club like this. I didn't have any doubts,” Marc Cucurella said. That was the clearest line in his comments, and it fits the rest of what he said about the stadium. “I've seen all those magical nights as a spectator,” he added. “To have the chance to experience it firsthand, to be able to be a part of something great, I think it's a huge responsibility and a wonderful challenge.”

He also said he had already played at the Bernabéu as a visitor, including Spain’s March 2024 friendly against Brazil. That kind of detail makes the move feel less like a leap into the unknown and more like a player chasing the stage he has already watched from the outside.

Mourinho's influence and the mood around Madrid

Cucurella also praised working with Jose Mourinho, saying, “Working with Mourinho, there's a lot of confidence and ease.” On the season ahead, he added: “A lot of confidence and naturalness. We have to do what we know out on the field, and above all, enjoy ourselves. I think what we all want is to win and to have a great year.”

The wider context is still early. Real Madrid sit 16th in the current league snapshot, but the more useful detail is that the squad is still settling and Cucurella was one of the players returning to Valdebebas after the World Cup, with several new signings around him. His recent tournament numbers suggest he arrived with rhythm, too, with 463 minutes across his last five World Cup matches and a 7.23 average rating in that run.

The optimism is real, but it is still just optimism. What comes next is the football itself, starting with the buildup around the preseason friendly against Deportivo La Coruna on 12 August at 21:00 CET at Riazor.

Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →