Why Spain’s Marc Cucurella is Being Booed in Euro 2024 Final v England

Lamine Yamal, Marc Cucurella and Martin Zubimendi

Fans might have been left puzzled during Spain’s Euro 2024 match against England after Marc Cucurella received an interesting reaction from supporters inside the ground. Indeed, the Chelsea defender was being booed every time he got involved.

Cucurella received the exact same reaction from supporters during the semi-final tie against France, and it certainly made for confusing viewing, considering that the defender hadn’t been involved with proceedings much in either game before being targeted by those in attendance. However, the boos were not coming from either French or English fans in either match.

Cucurella booed in Spain vs England

Boos come from German fans

Spain's Marc Cucurella in action with France's Aurelien Tchouameni

It seems as though German fans in the crowd were booing Cucurella due to the handball incident he was involved in during the quarter-final clash. They, of course, would have advanced to the semi-final, in their home nation, in Munich, had they not lost to the Spaniards 2-1.

The most controversial moment in the game came when Cucurella appeared to handle the ball but no penalty was given. With the scoreline still level at 1-1, youngster Jamal Musiala tried his luck with a long-range effort and the ball made contact with the hand of Cucurella inside the penalty area. Strong appeals from the German players were waved away by Anthony Taylor and, in the end, the Spanish team came away with the victory – with this being a pivotal moment in the encounter.

With the call going against them, Tancredi Palmeri explained in the semi-final against France that Cucurella had taken the blame, getting a ‘nightmare reception’ from the German fans in the Allianz Arena. He wrote:

“Cucurella is having nightmare reception. Every ball he touches he is buried by whole Allianz Arena booing him. It’s each German in the stadium taking the revenge for handball breaking their #EURO2024 dream.”

Cucurella made his thoughts on the matter clear in an interview after the game, but that has not stopped German supporters in attendance for the final from continuing to boo him. Spanish fans at the game, though, fired back at those participating by chanting the left-back’s name to drown them out.