Cucurella jokes he will get a Ballon d’Or gift from winning team-mate

Spain defender Marc Cucurella says he would vote for himself in the Ballon d’Or award if he had the choice, but expects to receive a gift from whichever of his nominated team-mates wins the prize.

Cucurella was speaking before Spain’s UEFA Nations League – League A match against Czechia on Saturday. Spain face Czechia in their third Group C fixture, with the competition listing Cucurella’s club as Real Madrid.

“If the vote were in my hands, I would vote for myself,” Cucurella said at his news conference.

“There are two candidates who are my team-mates, and I will be happy whoever wins. Since I have team-mates among the nominees, I am sure I will receive a gift from one of them.”

Spain lead Group C on six points, ahead of England, Croatia and Czechia. They began their campaign with an entertaining 3-2 victory over England before beating Croatia 4-1 in their second match.

Cucurella targeting consistency

Cucurella was also asked why his performances have differed between Real Madrid and Spain.

“I have played many matches here, while Real Madrid is a new club for me,” he said. “I barely had a pre-season and I have had to adapt to my team-mates, but I want my level with the national team to be the same as the level I produce with Real Madrid.”

The defender added that he was pleased with his situation both on and off the pitch, highlighting the support he has received from supporters.

“I am happy with everything, not only on the sporting level but also personally, and because of the love people give me,” he said. “Making other people happy is something very special.”

Cucurella said Spain’s established foundations should help them as they continue working under a new coach, although he believes it is too early to draw firm conclusions.

“With the national team, we have had a coach for a long time and we have a clear foundation,” he said. “As with everything in life, it is about understanding each other.

“We have only just started working with a new coach, and many players have had a short pre-season. It is still too early to talk about that.”

He acknowledged that Spain’s start had not entirely matched expectations, and said the team’s development would need to be assessed later.

“The beginning was not what we all expected, and we were missing some things,” Cucurella said. “It is an ongoing process, and it will be evaluated at the end of the season.”