Key Takeaways:
- Marc Cucurella stated it would be “hard to turn down” an offer from Barcelona, though he is currently committed to Chelsea
- Cucurella reflected on the impact of Enzo Maresca’s departure from Chelsea, describing it as significant for the club
- Chelsea exited the Champions League with an 8-2 aggregate defeat to Paris St-Germain, matching their heaviest European loss over two legs this month
Cucurella’s Thoughts on Potential Barcelona Move
Chelsea’s left-back Marc Cucurella has revealed that a potential return to Barcelona would be difficult to reject. The 27-year-old, who began his footballing journey at Espanyol’s academy before moving to Barcelona’s youth set-up, made a solitary senior appearance for the club in 2017. Having also featured for Eibar and Getafe in La Liga, Cucurella joined Brighton in 2021 and quickly impressed in his debut Premier League campaign, prompting Chelsea to secure his signature for £60m. Since then, the Spain international has established himself as a regular starter at left-back.
🚨🗣️ Marc Cucurella on returning to Barcelona one day:
"Spain is always Spain. You always think about coming back. I'd leave it for years down the line, I'm happy in England."
"If that were to happen, it'd be hard to turn down. I'd have to think it over. If it comes, it will… pic.twitter.com/84w1kI7I0u
— The Touchline | 𝐓 (@TouchlineX) March 30, 2026
Asked about a possible move back to Spain, Cucurella commented: “Spain is always Spain. It is where I grew up and you always think about going back.
But I would [prefer to] leave it for a few years down the line. I am very happy here and it is a great life experience.”
When questioned specifically about Barcelona, Cucurella responded: “It is clear if that situation [Barcelona making an offer] did arise, it is hard to turn down, but I would have to consider it in the end.
It is not just me, I also have to think about my family and together we would have to decide what’s best for us.
As I have said before, right now I am not thinking about that. If it comes, it will come, and we will see what decision is made.”
Reflection on Managerial Changes at Stamford Bridge
Since arriving at Chelsea in the summer of 2022, Cucurella has worked under five different permanent managers. Enzo Maresca’s arrival in 2024 led the club to a top-four Premier League finish, the Club World Cup title, and Conference League success in 2025. However, Maresca’s departure at the start of the year saw Liam Rosenior, formerly of Strasbourg, take charge. The transitional period included a stint by interim Under-21 coach Calum McFarlane before Rosenior was appointed permanent manager.
Cucurella told the Athletic: “We knew what Maresca wanted from us.”
“Winning a title like the Club World Cup 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.”
Recent Results and Squad Policy Concerns
Chelsea currently sit six points adrift of the top four, trailing Liverpool by only one point in fifth. Earlier this month, they suffered an 8-2 defeat on aggregate over two legs to Paris St-Germain in the Champions League, equalling their joint-heaviest loss in European competition.
Cucurella reflected on the situation: “Results like that are always hard to take,” he said. “You are fighting and training every day only to realise, at the very end, that when games matter, we are still a bit away from the top level.
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 want to win big things, moments like this make you feel discouraged.
To fight for major trophies such as the Premier League or the Champions League, you need more.
Signing young players only might complicate achieving those goals. Against PSG, we lacked players that had gone through situations like that.”
