Marc Cucurella’s girlfriend hits out at Gary Neville after Spain beat England in Euro 2024 final
Marc Cucurella and his girlfriend Claudia Rodriguez hit back at Gary Neville after Spain beat England in the Euro 2024 final on Sunday night. Spain have won the European Championship for a record fourth time as Mikel Oyarzabal’s goal in the 86th minute sealed a 2-1 victory over Gareth Southgate’s side in Berlin.
Cucurella, meanwhile, was one of Spain’s surprise stars of the tournament, with many doubting whether the Chelsea defender would even be included in Luis de la Fuente’s squad for the tournament. Neville, meanwhile, highlighted Cucurella as Spain’s weak link before their first group game, which ended in an impressive 3-0 victory over Croatia.
‘We didn’t think he’d play,’ Neville told ITV on June 15. ‘He’s not been convincing at Chelsea, he’s played a few games towards the end of the season, he’s aggressive, he’s tenacious, he’s a busy little full-back. ‘That price tag still, to be fair, astounds everybody I think to this day.
‘The Spanish defence has got a lot of experience now but there’s something just missing from Spain that makes you feel like they’re going to go all the way. ‘And I have to say, him [Cucurella] being at left-back probably is another example of why we think that.’
But after Spain’s victory over Southgate’s side, Neville’s words came back to haunt him as both Cucurella and Rodriguez took aim at the former Manchester United and England defender. Rodriguez posted a photo on Instagram of Cucurella celebrating with the trophy with the caption: ‘How was your night, @gneville2?’ Cucurella, meanwhile, shared a snippet Neville’s criticism and posted a picture of himself celebrating along with the message: ‘We went all the way Gary. Thanks for your support.’
Speaking after Spain’s win at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, Cucurella told TVE: ‘Nobody gave us a chance. ‘We just kept quiet and, in the end, we won the Euros. ‘We showed that we know how to play, but also how to suffer. We suffered like a family. When we arrived, we were a group of players. Now, we are a family. ‘This is incredible and it’s already history.’