“They took it out on me”: Marc Cucurella opens up about hatred in Germany and his message to Lamine Yamal

Marc Cucurella has spoken to Cadena COPE about the continued hostility he faces from German fans and revealed how he intimidated Lamine Yamal before the Clasico.

The full-back warned the Catalans' teenager: "I told him he would be in the starting line-up for the first Clasico, but on the bench for the second because I would eat him alive."

Throughout the match, the 28-year-old largely neutralised the exceptional talent's attacks down his side of the defence. Cucurella's warning had worked. Asked what they said after the final whistle, he replied: "Nothing. I don't need to say anything. I'm satisfied. We won, and I played a good game."

His performance in Real Madrid's 2-1 win marked a turnaround in form for Cucurella. The Spaniard had struggled to reach his usual level during a barren spell, but regained his consistency afterwards.

Even so, Cucurella takes a measured view of his rivalry with international team-mate Yamal. "I will certainly play many games against him, and he will take the plaudits," he said.

German football fans remain hostile to Cucurella, despite his popularity in Spain. He regularly faces whistles and boos when playing against German teams. Their anger stems from the controversial, unpunished handball incident during the Euro 2024 quarter-final between Germany and Spain.

"They took it out on me, and I know I can't play in Germany," Cucurella said. But he won't change his approach: "I like to keep quiet and do my job."