Marc Cucurella
From TheChels.info - The Chelsea Football Club Wiki
| Marc Cucurella | |
| |
| Full Name | Marc Cucurella Saseta |
| Date of Birth | 22 July 1998 |
| Place of Birth | Allela, Spain |
| Position | Left-back Left wing-back |
| Chelsea career | 2022 – |
| Debut | 6 August 2022 |
| Games (goals) | 98 (7) |
| Other clubs | FC Barcelona Eibar (loan) Getafe Brighton & Hove Albion |
Marc Cucurella is a Spanish left-back who joined Chelsea from Brighton & Hove Albion in August 2022.
Contents |
Before Chelsea
Cucurella began his youth career at Espanyol before moving to Barcelona's famed La Masia academy in 2012. Although he made a few senior appearances for Barcelona, he spent much of his early career on loan, most notably at Eibar and Getafe, before completing a permanent move to the latter. His performances at Getafe earned him recognition for his energetic playing style and attacking contributions from left-back.
Brighton & Hove Albion
In August 2021, Cucurella signed for Brighton & Hove Albion. In his only season at the club, he impressed with his defensive solidity and ability to join the attack, winning Brighton's Players' Player of the Season and Player of the Season awards for 2021–22.
Chelsea career
2022–23 Season
On 5 August 2022, Cucurella signed for Chelsea on a six-year contract, for an initial fee reported to be around £55 million, potentially rising to £62 million with add-ons, making him at the time one of the most expensive full-backs in history.
He made his debut the following day in a 1–0 Premier League win over Everton, coming off the bench and providing a solid performance. Cucurella quickly established himself as a regular starter under then-manager Thomas Tuchel, featuring primarily at left wing-back or as a left-sided centre-back in a back three. However, Chelsea's 2022–23 season proved turbulent, with managerial changes and inconsistent form affecting the team's performances.
Throughout the season, Cucurella's displays were mixed; while he showed flashes of his quality with aggressive pressing and precise passing, he was also criticized at times for defensive lapses and struggles in one-on-one situations. Despite this, he made 33 appearances across all competitions, contributing two assists and remaining a key squad member during a challenging campaign for the club.
2023–24 Season
Under new manager Mauricio Pochettino, Cucurella initially found first-team opportunities limited, with competition from Ben Chilwell and the emergence of Levi Colwill. In the early months, he was linked with a loan move away from Stamford Bridge, including advanced talks with Manchester United; however, a move did not materialize.
Cucurella gradually fought his way back into contention, particularly during an injury crisis at full-back. Impressing with improved defensive discipline and versatility — sometimes even playing as an inverted right-back — he regained the trust of the coaching staff. His adaptability proved crucial, especially during Chelsea’s push for European qualification late in the season.
Although he did not score any goals, Cucurella contributed several assists and important defensive interventions, ending the season with 28 appearances across all competitions. His resilience and work ethic were widely praised, and he was noted as one of the players who improved significantly under Pochettino’s management.
Statistics
| Season | Prem | FA Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |
| 2022-23 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| 2023-24 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 |
| 2024-25 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 39 | 6 |
| Total | 75 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 7 |
- Correct as of 18 April 2025"
Goals
| # | Season | Date | Year | Competition | Opponent | Score | Result | Venue |
| 1 | 2023-24 | 17 March | 2024 | FA Cup | Leicester City | 1-0 | 4-2 | Stamford Bridge |
| 2 | 2024-25 | 15 December | 2024 | Premier League | Brentford | 1-0 | 2-1 | Stamford Bridge |
| 3 | 2024-25 | 19 December | 2024 | UEFA Conference League | Shamrock Rovers | 5-1 | 5-1 | Stamford Bridge |
| 4 | 2024-25 | 20 January | 2025 | Premier League | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2-1 | 3-1 | Stamford Bridge |
| 5 | 2024-25 | 25 February | 2025 | Premier League | Southampton | 4-0 | 4-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 6 | 2024-25 | 09 March | 2025 | Premier League | Leicester City | 1-0 | 1-0 | Stamford Bridge |
| 7 | 2024-25 | 17 April | 2025 | UEFA Conference League | Legia Warszawa | 1-1 | 1-2 | Stamford Bridge |
Honours
Club
- Chelsea
International
- Spain
- UEFA European Championship: 2024
| Current Squad |
|---|
| 1 Sanchez • 2 Disasi • 3 Cucurella • 5 Badiashile • 7 Sterling • 8 Enzo • 10 Mudryk • 10 Madueke • 13 Bettinelli • 14 Chalobah • 15 Jackson • 16 Ugochukwu • 17 Chukwuemeka • 18 Nkunku • 20 Palmer • 21 Chilwell • 23 Gallagher • 24 James • 25 Caicedo • 26 Colwill • 27 Gusto • 28 Petrovic • 31 Casadei • 33 Fofana • 42 Gilchrist • 45 Lavia Manager: Enzo Maresca |
