The former Barça player returns to the Camp Nou with the aim of scoring and getting a little further away from the relegation zone; in front he will have Barça who he sees as a favorite for the League
Marc Cucurella (Alella, 1998) returns to the Camp Nou where he always feels something special. He is convinced that Getafe will achieve permanence and that Barça will be champion.
How are you playing without an audience?
Football without people is super boring, it loses its essence. You enter the field and it seems that it is the typical game that you go to play with your colleagues before a barbecue and the one that loses invites. It’s hard to focus on times when you need a lot of attention. But there is no excuse, you have to adapt.
Well, a Camp Nou without an audience awaits you. What does it feel like?
Coming home is always special. I have already played there as a visitor. It is very nice to play on one of the most difficult courses in the League. It is a huge field, reaching the opposite goal is very long.
What was the key to beating them in the first round?
We played a great game and they weren’t at their best. We didn’t let them be comfortable, we took them out of the game and took advantage of our chance.
And what will be the confrontation today?
The parties are defined in the areas. You have to be super attentive. They have the best in the world who, when it seems that you have everything under control, goes and always makes something up. We will try that you are not comfortable and that it is not your day, to be right in your area and not to make mistakes in ours.
How has Barça improved compared to the first round?
Especially in defense. On an offensive level they have always been very good, but they conceded a lot of goals. I remember that in Cádiz they got a kick-off. They had some oversights and received many strange goals. With the three centrals they have corrected it. Now they are more wrapped up and they are not caught against it. They are in a good time.
What is your favorite to win the League?
The Barca. Atlético had a great margin, but it has been reduced and they play with that pressure. On the other hand, Barça had everything lost, nobody was betting on them and now they are there. And, in addition, Atlético have to go to the Camp Nou.
What is happening to Getafe this season?
They are football things. Getafe has historically been a humble club, but in recent years we have been among the best fighting for Europe. This year we are having to suffer, but life is not always a bed of roses. Hopefully we can achieve our goal as soon as possible. But they are things that make you grow. Nobody is always on top.
Getafe has a reputation for being an excessively tough team. Do you share that opinion?
This fame has already been created and we will never be able to get rid of it. I watch a lot of games and I don’t see anyone who plays without intensity. It is said that we lose time and I do not know of any team that takes the free-kicks quickly when it is winning and its players run away in a substitution. If Getafe does it, it acquires a great magnitude and is criticized. On the other hand, not the others. But we are used to it.
Is Bordalás so demanding?
It is very demanding, but it is its essence. Without that requirement, he would not have managed to get Getafe to enter Europe, eliminate Ajax or face Inter. This is a success and the coach has a great responsibility. And players that we were not known and of a normal level, we have improved a lot based on that demand and work.
How are you doing being captain in the U21?
A different experience. It never had been, not even as a child. Let’s see how we get the European. We are making a very good classification, conceding very few goals. We want to revalidate the title.
Has Pedri surprised you?
I was impressed. David Timor, who played with him in Las Palmas, had already told me that he was very good. It’s a show. I’m with him in the Under-21s and he does everything well. He manages both legs, he’s smart, he works … he has a great future.
What are your expectations?
I am ambitious and I would like to continue growing. I am very comfortable in Getafe, but like all footballers, I would like to play in a big one. * l
This summer the first edition of the Cucurella campus will take place for kids between 6 and 14 years old.
I remember that when I was little, my cousin went to the campuses organized by Xavi Hernández. I had never imagined that one day I could have my own campus for the boys to improve their qualities. Now we make one in the Masía Cas Castellar de Vallgorguina. It is a very nice experience and I hope the boys and girls have a good time and enjoy it.
