Spain vs England: Marc Cucurella admits he struggles against Cole Palmer in Chelsea training

Evening Standard

·13 July 2024

Spain vs England: Marc Cucurella admits he struggles against Cole Palmer in Chelsea training

Blues teammates could square off for glory in Berlin

Marc Cucurella is hoping Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer starts on the bench for England against Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

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The Three Lions star is yet to start for his country during the tournament but made a telling impact during their semi-final victory over the Netherlands, providing the assist for Ollie Watkins to score a stunning late goal in Dortmund.

Palmer was one of the stars of a turbulent season for the Blues and looks like a potential game-changer for Gareth Southgate’s side ahead of Sunday’s mouth-watering clash in Berlin.

Cucurella, meanwhile, endured a difficult season at club level but has been one of La Roja’s key players during their all-conquering run to the final.

Asked whether or not he had been in contact with his Chelsea teammate, Cucurella told Mundo Deportivo: “I spoke with him, but it was over a week ago. We talked for a while in the previous rounds.

“For me, it’s much better if he doesn’t play and stays on the bench.”

When asked by The Athletic if there was a player in English football he had particularly struggled against, the Chelsea defender said: “He has not played a lot at Euro 2024, but it has to be Cole Palmer.

“His football brain works so quickly, he is always a step ahead of the rest. His decision-making is almost always excellent, and that sort of intelligence is the most difficult thing to defend against, you just can’t predict what he’ll do next. I’ve suffered a lot in training.

“He reminds me a lot of Lamine Yamal. Same style of player. He is a guy who does not care too much about anything. They don’t take life or themselves too seriously. If you ran into Palmer in the streets, you would never tell he is a footballer. But then he plays and… oof.”