Chelsea star Marc Cucurella 'wet his pants' after controversial Spain Euro 2024 moment
Marc Cucurella feared that he'd scuppered Spain's chances of reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2024 in a moment which still angers host nation Germany three months on
by Nathan Ridley · The MirrorChelsea defender Marc Cucurella has joked that he 'wet his pants' during a flashpoint on Spain's road to glory at Euro 2024.
Cucurella, 26, was a key figure for Luis de la Fuente's triumphant side, who beat England 2-1 in the final to win their third European Championship title. But Spain could've been dumped out by hosts Germany in the quarter-finals, as their match in Stuttgart went to extra-time.
As Germany searched for a winner, Jamal Musiala fired a shot from range and the ball hit Cucurella's left hand. Premier League referee Anthony Taylor immediately said no penalty and VAR Stuart Attwell didn't intervene, all while Cucurella was quaking.
"Mamma mia, what a shock," the Chelsea star told Gazzetta dello Sport. "I wet my pants. I looked at the referee and saw him say firmly: 'No penalty!' I told myself, 'Relax', but I couldn't do that until the game resumed."
Not long after the game resumed, team-mate Mikel Merino popped up with a 119th-minute winner, sending Spain through to the last four. Cucurella and co then beat favourites France 2-1 in normal time, booking what'd prove to be a famous night in Berlin at the expense of Gareth Southgate's England.
In September, however, UEFA's Referee Committee found that Germany should've been awarded the penalty. "Now they come and say it was a penalty," Cucurella added. "Who benefits from that?"
The decision left Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann furious post-match, as he called for a review of the handball rule. "I don't understand why we don’t take into account what is happening with the ball," Nagelsmann admitted.
Get involved! Should Germany have been awarded a penalty against Spain? Have your say in the comments section.
"If Musiala kicks it towards Stuttgart centre and it hits the hand, I won't say anything. But it was going towards goal. And for me, you should look at where it is going. Is it going into the clouds or is it going in the goal?
"In one case it is a penalty, in the other it is not. If it is going into the stands, then it is no penalty. The rule should be simpler. You can't talk about intentions. You have to see where the ball is aimed. We have 50 robots that bring us our coffee so there should be an AI that calculates where the ball is going."
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