![[FREE TO READ] Marc Cucurella interview: Chelsea have ‘paid the price’ for inexperience and why he wouldn’t have let Maresca go](https://www.eucup.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/RYGS3E4gyNmpOvuL1kKKyV3PgMQPaGkcBLpqLjkBLdo-1024x538.jpeg "[FREE TO READ] Marc Cucurella interview: Chelsea have ‘paid the price’ for inexperience and why he wouldn’t have let Maresca go")
Chelsea’s recent form has been difficult for Marc Cucurella to process.
Getting outclassed by PSG really stung. In the Spain international's eyes, the 8-2 aggregate defeat highlighted the shortcomings in the Chelsea project under BlueCo, who have invested heavily in young talent since taking over the club in May 2022.
“I understand this is part of the club’s policy, and that they want to take this direction — signing young players and looking to the future. But, for all of us who are still here and want to win big things, moments like this make you feel discouraged.
“For a lot of players, it was the first time playing a match of that calibre, and we paid the price."
Cucurella also spoke about Enzo Maresca's dismissal and how “the instability around the club comes from this, in a nutshell."
by TheAthletic
22 Comments
There is no need to interviews to see that the players are upset we let Maresca go. Their body language on the pitch says it all. This is why we should have brought Xavi in right after Maresca. Similar tactics and style and charismatic coach, we wouldn’t struggle with all these nonsense had we hired Xavi.
Dang. I rate his honesty. He is attacking the problem
Guess if he gets forced out of the club this summer, we will know the truth
Good. Player’s sentiments need to be expressed so that we can state the obvious.
These are human players who have their own ambitions amid a short career. They aren’t one of your investments in your portfolio that will silently compensate for your other failed investments.
Players in their prime now will want to leave, and I’m honestly happy they’re saying it out loud. Last resort in forcing the owners to buy experience. But I’m not holding my breath.
All this started coz palmer missed an easy tapin vs leeds ffs
>Maresca’s exit just after New Year was a turning point in the BlueCo project, but also in the Chelsea dressing room. Cucurella says the Italian was “the most important” of the six permanent managers he has worked under at Stamford Bridge.
>“We knew what Maresca wanted from us,” he says. “Winning a title like the Club World Cup (beating PSG 3-0 in the final) also helps, strengthens the bond, and you create great relationships during the celebrations. When a manager gives you that confidence and offers you a platform to fight for titles, you’d die for him.
>**“The moment Maresca left, it had a big impact on us. These are decisions taken by the club. If you asked me, I would not have made this decision.** To make a change like that, the best thing is to wait until the end of the season. You would give everyone, the players and the new manager, time to get ready, have a full pre-season…
>“The instability around the club comes from this, in a nutshell. We had a caretaker (former under-21s coach Calum McFarlane) first, then a new manager, with new ideas and no time to work on them. It is what it is.”
To all the SHEEP that turned on Enzo because he was ‘undermining’ LinkedIn Liam , I wonder what they’re going to say now that fan favourite cucurella has done the same
> “I understand this is part of the club’s policy, and that they want to take this direction — signing young players and looking to the future. But, for all of us who are still here and want to win big things, moments like this make you feel discouraged.
It’s heartening to know that the players feel the same way. This is what leadership looks like. I said some time ago here im disappointed in Reece for not coming out and doing something similar but Marc has really impressed me here.
The fans have spoken. The players are speaking. Will BlueCo listen?
Who knows
Weird
It’s f**king obvious that we’re building a world class squad, and managers aren’t that important – yet somehow the players in the squad don’t see it that way
Yea we’re absolutely done, players have been absolutely blindsided by the last few months and replacing Maresca with Rosenior (who has fuck all experience) has made the lack of ambition by the club impossible to ignore. Just need to hope we’re not too irrelevant or in the championship by the time Clearlake realise they’re never making their money back.
Such a sensible and fair take from Cucurella.
It gives us a good insight into the feelings in the camp right now and I don’t think they’re unreasonable.
The line about how there are players who want to win now and not tomorrow hits hard and explains the noise around Enzo.
I hope BlueCo sit up and take notice. Teams are built from the ground up, not by strategy made by someone sitting high in an ivory tower.
Liam Rosenior is a liar:
> The Chelsea squad have had to look for new ways to stay focused and united — and one of those has been their now-infamous pre-match huddle in the centre circle. Cucurella says it was an idea from the backroom staff, intended to project the idea of a strong team.
> “It is a thing that all the players decided to do before the games, following the advice from a coach,” he says. “We have a coach in the backroom staff that helps us to be better from the mental side, too. As we lack profiles of experienced players, he gives us tips to project the image of a better team.”
i wish every player join him and raise OUR concerns about the incompetence of our useless board, fans wont do much because as long tourists show up to the stadium, they are generating money and we are slowly becoming a feeder club to other top clubs soon in no time, dark days
“You need time as well, and I know the young players are the ones that will have the experience in the future. But you need to find the balance between both worlds”
Can Cucu become the very first player-SD please?
> The Chelsea squad have had to look for new ways to stay focused and united — and one of those has been their **now-infamous pre-match huddle** in the centre circle. Cucurella says it was **an idea from the backroom staff, intended to project the idea of a strong team**.
> “It is a thing that all the players decided to do before the games, following the advice from a coach,” he says. “We have a coach in the backroom staff that helps us to be better from the mental side, too. As we lack profiles of experienced players, he gives us tips to project the image of a better team.”
So, it wasn’t *totally* an idea brought up by the players then. The way Rosenior worded things was certainly misleading at the very least.
It is frankly impressive how many times this board and the directors have fallen out with people working at the club. From managers, to coaches, to staff, to ex board members, to senior players, youth prospects. They even managed to ick out managers who willingly signed up to do interviews too.
What’s even more impressive is how every single time they’ve managed to convince so many fans that the other party is the incompetent asshole.
Present: focus on the future
In the future: sold profitable players and said to invest in the future
Rinse and repeat, this is modern business club for you
A middle finger to the Blueco media gaslighting about the “project”. If even our own players are openly coming out against it, you know the problem not imagingary.
Oh, he’s *gone* gone lol. Been a cracking player for us after a shaky first season. Genuinely can’t wait to see the hit pieces the board sanction once he’s leaves this summer. He’s 100% correct.
Think some of you still don’t realise how fucked we are as a club.
Love it. No B.S. but very polite and sensible take from Cucu.
Ownership and board room are absolute idiots and so the squad finds themselves in the position they are in. They got absolutely embarrassed by PSG and are now wobbling toward the finish line of the season trying to not lose European football next season.
What a bloke. Going to bat for the good of the fans and club and not boot licking those that pay him. I admire him. I don’t care if he wants to leave, can we blame a single one of them? He’s telling the truth. Can never ever be mad at that. If they all did it at the same time what are they gonna do? Sell them all?
No issue with Cucu saying this, and I won’t be blaming him nor any of the others who want to jump ship for frankly better teams. These owners are charlatans and are ruining the best years of some top players.
I doubt anything comes of it though, Clownlake has an ego that dwarfs their brain.
I expect Cucu is gone in the summer and a tidal wave of PR will come out to ‘justify’ the decision.
ah he spoke out against the narcissists running the circus. hes gone