Did Marc Cucurella, who clashed fiercely with Lee Kang-in, make a baseless accusation? "Real Madrid has the lowest activity volume? They wouldn't have picked a fight if they had won," he retorted angrily.

*This content was translated by AI.

Marc Cucurella (28) firmly refuted claims that his team, Real Madrid, had the lowest activity volume in recent matches.

Spain's "Cadena SER" reported on the 24th (Korea time) that "Cucurella appeared on their radio program 'El Larguero' and decisively dismissed criticisms about the team's lack of activity following consecutive losses to Atlético Madrid in the derby and Real Betis."

On the 20th, Cucurella started as a left wingback in the 7th round of the 2026–2027 La Liga match against Atlético Madrid, known as the 'Madrid Derby.' Throughout the game, he engaged in intense battles with Lee Kang-in, who played as an opposing right-sided attacker. During disputes over referee decisions in the first half, Cucurella and Lee Kang-in were involved in a fiery exchange of words when players from both teams strongly protested and became entangled.

Despite enduring such a fierce derby match, Cucurella drew a line when faced with accusations of low activity volume: "Honestly, I was surprised to see the data. While I wouldn't agree that we held possession for long periods, we definitely ran a lot on the field."

He then stated that the defeats had sparked the controversy. Cucurella emphasized, "Ultimately, it's because we lost in the derby and against Betis that this data has become a topic of discussion. If we had won those matches, no one would have criticized our activity levels. Instead, headlines might have read something like 'efficient despite running less.'"

Cucurella, who joined Real Madrid immediately after winning the North American World Cup with the Spanish national team this summer, may find the early-season losses and public criticism somewhat burdensome. Some local analysts suggest that José Mourinho's characteristic defensive and pragmatic tactical approach has led to a decline in the team's overall activity metrics.

However, Cucurella acknowledged the positive role of statistics as well. He added, "We must improve our shortcomings and win matches. Such data is undoubtedly useful because it helps us identify weaknesses during training and take another step forward on the field."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.