The continuous whistles that Spanish full-back Marc Cucurella received from the local Munich fans during the semi-final of the Euro 2024 between Spain and France have generated a wave of apologies from the German media.
The trigger for the controversy was Cucurella’s unsanctioned handball in the quarterfinal match against Germany, which provoked outrage from the home fans. The boos intensified in the match against France, which led to various criticisms from the German press.
Despite the boos, Cucurella has proven to be one of the revelations of the European Championship. The Spanish player has earned the trust of coach Luis de la Fuente and is emerging as a key player for the final of the tournament.
The German press apologizes to Spain and Cucurella
The newspaper “Kicker” led the apology, calling the fans’ attitude “shameful, silly and contrary to sportsmanship.” The media stressed that the whistles were unjustified, since Cucurella’s play was not punishable and that the Spanish player “leaves his heart on the field of play for 90 minutes”.
Marc Cucurella of Spain is challenged by Ousmane Dembele of France during the UEFA EURO 2024 Semi-Final match between Spain and France. Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
“Whoever behaves like this, who constantly whistles at a player who leaves his heart on the pitch for 90 minutes, has not understood fair play and is behaving in a way unworthy of a host,” said “Kicker”. The media called on the German fans to behave neutrally with Cucurella in the final of the tournament.
Criticism also came from the Spanish dressing room. Defender Dani Vivian described the attitude of the German fans as a “shame” and assured that “no player deserves that”. Coach Luis de la Fuente also spoke out on the matter, stating that he did not understand the reasons for the whistles and that they had only served to motivate Cucurella.
