Marc Cucurella has revealed that he attempted to persuade his Spain teammate Rodri to join him at Real Madrid before the midfielder ultimately chose to sign with Barcelona. The disclosure came during an interview with Cadena SER, where Cucurella admitted to sending a "subtle message" to Rodri prior to the transfer news becoming public.
"I don’t really like pressuring or influencing teammates," Cucurella stated, emphasizing that such decisions are personal. "It’s true that I sent him a subtle message, before the news broke, saying I hoped we’d become teammates." He noted that Rodri replied but did not reveal his intentions. Although Cucurella expressed happiness for Rodri’s move to Barcelona, he added with a touch of rivalry: "I hope he doesn’t have too much success."
Rodri had been close to completing a transfer from Manchester City to Real Madrid as part of the club’s rebuilding efforts before opting for Barcelona. The two players are currently part of the Spain squad preparing for Saturday’s Nations League match against England at Wembley, despite now representing opposing clubs in El Clásico.
Cucurella is one of six new signings at Real Madrid under new manager José Mourinho, a period that has seen the club suffer defeats to Real Betis and Atlético Madrid. Acknowledging the difficult start, Cucurella said, "We didn’t finish the period before the break in the best way. It’s all a process, but the important thing is to build a solid foundation." He added that if the season concludes successfully, "no one will remember the start."
During the recent derby defeat, Cucurella and Vinícius Júnior were frequently targeted down Madrid’s left flank. While acknowledging that their partnership is still developing due to limited training time together, Cucurella praised Vinícius’s effort. "Connecting with me is different compared to other full-backs, but it’s a process," he said. "From what I see, and with the effort he’s putting in — knowing it’s not his natural strength — Vinicius is really doing his part."
Statistics indicating that Real Madrid players have covered less total distance than their LaLiga rivals this season also drew attention. Cucurella rejected the notion that this was a cause for concern, stating, "That stat surprised me. But we do run a lot. We’re talking about these figures because we lost the derby against Atleti. If we hadn’t lost, no one would be mentioning it."
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
