"Cucurella and I are a team"

Alejandro Grimaldo earned a place in the Spain squad for the European Championship in Germany on the back of an outstanding season with Bayer Leverkusen. He won the Bundesliga and DFB Pokal as a key player for Xabi Alonso, making him the main man to start at left-back at the continental tournament... until Luis de la Fuente opted for Marc Cucurella.

"He's at his club, I'm at mine. Here, we come here for the same objective. We're a team, we get along very well. The coach then decides who plays. That doesn't influence us. I want the best for him because I think he's an incredible person. I'm here to add to the team, whether I'm on the pitch or off it. What I want is to help the team and Cucurella in everything he needs," he said, asked about his compatriot, in 'Mundo Deportivo'.

"We don't give each other advice like that. We are quite different players even though we are full-backs, but we encourage each other, we support each other, we are together all day long, we joke with each other.... Having a team-mate in the same position, who has a lot of confidence, with whom you get on very well, who wants the best for you, also makes you feel more comfortable on the pitch and more confident," he added from the 'la Roja' training camp.

"Am I waiting for a chance against Albania? That's what I'm working for, I'm very ready to play. I think it's been an incredible year for me, I've been one of the best full-backs in the world, but I'm here to help whether it's against Albania or whenever I'm needed," he replied. Reflecting on his campaign in Germany, he insisted: "I've been one of the best full-backs in Europe.

On the subject of whether playing in a line of five defenders has been good for him, he pondered: "Yes, maybe that's what has tipped the balance a bit between playing more or playing less. But I feel very prepared and, as soon as the coach gives me the opportunity, I will show the level I have, as I have always done, both in a line of five and in a line of four. It's my first European Championship and I hope we can win the fourth".

 

June 22, 2024