"Maybe that’s why they didn’t give me the opportunity" – Marc Cucurella on why Barcelona ‘closed’ the door on him
Marc Cucurella was signaled as a future star when he broke through the youth ranks at Barcelona. Unfortunately, the defender couldn't fulfill his potential at Camp Nou due to a lack of opportunities and was forced to depart the club in the summer of 2018.
Three years after leaving the Catalan capital, the Spaniard has reflected on what hindered him from establishing himself in the senior team. The 23-year-old has pointed to Barcelona's motivation to win and the intense competition in the squad at the time as possible reasons he wasn't given a chance.
Marc Cucurella: "I wish Barcelona had more confidence in their youth teams."
No doubt he will try to show the club the error of their ways this weekend. https://t.co/DGS1gbTWxG
Marc Cucurella was quoted as saying:
"I understand that at Barca the only thing that matters is winning. That was my turn and they had a great team, maybe that's why they didn't give me the opportunity, to seek the immediate result. That with a youth squad is difficult."
Barcelona decided to offload the left-back after refusing to keep him in the first team. Marc Cucurella had loan spells at Eibar and Getafe, with the latter signing him permanently in a deal worth €11 million in the summer of 2020.
The defender insists he doesn't feel sorry over his lack of opportunities at Barcelona, especially considering other clubs gave him a chance. He said:
"I am not sorry because otherwise I would not be where I am. I did not have that opportunity, that door was closed for me but others were opened for me."
Meanwhile, Marc Cucurella also commented on Barcelona's recent struggles. The Catalan giants are in the rebuilding process following a terrible start to the season. The defender believes it will take his former club a couple of years to get back to where they belong.
🎙 Marc Cucurella (Getafe) "Maybe Barcelona don't have the patience that they had. As an academy player, which I am, they don't give you the chances you deserve. I don't like it because I expected they would be more confident in the youth academy." #BarçaGetafe
He said:
"Regarding Barca, things have not been done well for a long time and now it has exploded. It will take 2 or 3 years for them to compete for titles, but the youth players are hitting the mark."
Marc Cucurella's statistics since leaving Barcelona
The defender spent a year on loan at Eibar after leaving Barcelona in the summer of 2018. He made 33 appearances for Azulgranas, recording two goals and two assists to his name before leaving for another loan stint with Getafe in 2019.
The Azulones signed him permanently at the end of his season-long loan and kept him for another term. Marc Cucurella bagged four goals and eight assists for the Liga side during his two-year stint before he was sold to Premier League outfit Brighton this summer. He's made 14 appearances for the Premier League side since the campaign kicked off, recording one assist to his name.