Marc Cucurella Keeps Getting Booed, and Fans Aren't Entirely Sure Why

When Spain’s Marc Cucurella stepped into Stuttgart Stadium for the UEFA Nations League on June 5, 2025, the boos started almost instantly. During the match against France, every time he got the ball, the crowd let him have it. Players often rely on the crowd for focus and motivation, and while there were probably some Cucurella fans in the mix, the German fans were making it very clear, they weren’t happy he was there.

The non-stop booing has people taking to social media, trying to figure out what exactly went down to make German fans react like that every single time he touched the ball. Well, it all goes back to a 2024 match, and honestly, some fans might have a legit reason to still be salty about it.

Marc Cucurella was booed during the UEFA Nations League in early June 2025 during a match against France, but it wasn’t the French fans bringing the heat. It was the German fans who were reportedly behind the loud boos every time he touched the ball. And according to Yahoo Sports, it all stems back to the Euro 2024 tournament.

During the quarterfinals, Spain and Germany went head-to-head in a tense matchup. Cucurella was accused of an improper handball in the penalty area, a moment many felt should’ve resulted in a penalty. But the ref didn’t call it. Spain avoided the penalty and went on to win the game 2–1.

Here’s how it went down: According to ESPN, Jamal Musiala tried to take a shot from outside the box during extra time "in the 105th minute" and Cucurella blocked it with his hand. German players immediately appealed for a penalty, but referee Anthony Taylor didn’t call it. VAR official Stuart Attwell took a second look for a potential spot kick but ultimately backed the decision, and no penalty was given.

Naturally, German fans (and players) weren’t thrilled. Many believe that call, or the lack of one, cost them the game. So now, it looks like booing Cucurella is their way of getting back at him, even if it did happen last year.

It seems the real issue German fans have with Cucurella is that handball moment they believe deserved a penalty. But according to UEFA’s head of referees, Roberto Rosetti, not every hand or arm touch automatically qualifies. Back in 2024, ironically, during a pre-tournament briefing, Rosetti broke down what does and doesn’t count as a handball penalty, according to ESPN.

He even showed a clip of a player making contact with the ball using their arm during a shot on goal, but the arm was "in a vertical position, close to the body." Rosetti explained, "Not every touch of the arm or hand is a penalty. We want to consider the movement of the players — biomechanical movements. You know, this is a clear situation. This is never a penalty."

Apparently, that example mirrored Cucurella’s handball pretty closely, which is likely why no penalty was given at the time. Still, fans (especially German ones) clearly aren’t over it.