Cucurella says he did not speak to Yamal after Clasico victory

Real Madrid defender Marc Cucurella says he has not spoken to Lamine Yamal about the Barcelona forward’s pre-match comments before the latest Clasico.

Cucurella told Spanish radio station Cadena COPE that he had no discussion with Yamal after the match and would rather allow his performances on the pitch to speak for him.

“No, I have not spoken to Lamine Yamal about his comments before the Clasico,” Cucurella said.

“I am happy. We won and I played well. I do not like talking or boasting. I prefer to keep quiet and do my job.”

Yamal had joked before the Clasico about facing Cucurella, saying he would start the first game but would be on the bench for the second because Cucurella would “destroy” him.

Cucurella said he expected to face Yamal several more times and believed the Barcelona player would continue to receive praise.

“The truth is that I played well, and I am sure I will face him in many more matches. He will receive the recognition,” he added.

The defender said the performance had been particularly important after a period in which he felt his form had not reached the level he wanted.

“We had been coming from a period when we were not playing as well as I would have liked. Then we played the Clasico, I had a good game and Real Madrid won, which gave me confidence,” he said.

“After the international break, I felt more comfortable.”

Cucurella also addressed the jeering he receives from German supporters whenever he plays against a German team. The reaction relates to a handball incident involving Spain and Germany at the European Championship, when the referee did not award a foul against him.

“I do not know. They took their anger out on me, and I know I cannot play in Germany,” Cucurella said.

Real Madrid are second in La Liga with 30 points, three behind leaders Barcelona. They recorded a 3-0 victory over Valencia at Mestalla in the 12th round, with Federico Valverde, Arda Guler and Kylian Mbappe scoring.

The result took Real Madrid to 30 points, level with Barcelona at the time, before Barcelona’s meeting with Atletico on Sunday in the same round. Valencia remain 19th with nine points.

Mbappe became the first French player to score at least 30 goals for six consecutive years in official competitions with a club from one of Europe’s five major leagues.

Valverde also scored from outside the penalty area in consecutive matches for Real Madrid in all competitions for the third time in his career with the club. It was his first such run since finding the net in three successive games in October 2022.