|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Micah Richards criticized Chelsea for making Marc Cucurella, a talented player for Spain, into a “laughing stock”.
Since moving to Stamford Bridge in 2022 for £62 million from Brighton, Cucurella, 25, has had difficulty.
But the full-back has shown promise during Euro 2024 and has been instrumental in leading the Furia Roja to the championship game, where they will take on England this Sunday.
The 36-year-old Richards commended the Spain international on his efforts in Germany.
The analyst also attributed Cucurella’s Premier League problems on Chelsea’s “so disorganised” play.
The former star of Manchester City is adamant that the Barcelona academy product has demonstrated his ability to perform well in an organized team, as evidenced by his performance at Brighton.
In an interview with The Rest is Football, Richards stated: “Marc Cucurella is a major talking point.”
“He was a part of a system at Brighton; he could play full back or as one of three center backs and was always the first to attack and get forward.
“He appeared to be a very skilled player. He moved to Chelsea, where he was somewhat of a laughing stock due to how disorganized everything was.
“But in this tournament he’s been one of the best full-backs.”
Gary Lineker concurred with Richards, saying he thought Cucurella had a “really good tournament”.
Lineker went on: “It only goes to demonstrate that players suffer and it’s very difficult to perform when a team is in turmoil.
“He’s had a really good tournament.”