Marc Cucurella is a player for the Spanish national football team who is doing a great job at the current World Cup.
I only recently started watching him play for the national team as a defender, and I liked what I watched, but I knew nothing about his life. However, a few days ago, I read an article about him, as it discussed Marc’s home in Catalonia, specifically in Alella (a village of 10,000 inhabitants where he was born).
I had learnt a few days earlier that Marc had been signed by Real Madrid; but I didn’t know that Marc was playing for Chelsea.
And, as I always watch the Spanish national team when they play, I can see that Marc is a great player. But above all, I was pleased to read in the article that Marc is a down-to-earth, humble man. He is married to Claudia Rodríguez; they have three children, and the eldest (Mateo) has autism; Marc doesn’t want to hide this from the public, because he wants to raise awareness of this condition. Marc told a Spanish radio station: “It’s hard to talk about your own problems; everyone thinks our life is wonderful and that everything is perfect, but in the end we have problems just like anyone else and it’s difficult.” Yet, despite the difficulties, Marc is a fun-loving, joking and family-oriented man. Now that they have to live in Madrid, Marc and Claudia are facing the challenge of finding schools for their children, especially for their eldest son.
I mentioned Alella at the start because, as well as being Marc’s home town, it’s also where he spends his summers and takes other breaks with his wife and children. It’s a place Marc has described as: “A peaceful gem near Barcelona”. Alella is 18 kilometres north of Barcelona and 2 kilometres from the coast.
This is where Cucurella first started playing football. His grandfather used to drive him to training every morning. Marc came through the youth ranks at El Español for seven years before moving to La Masía (FC Barcelona’s academy).
And, of course, it is where he has a family home, a residence surrounded by vineyards and just a short distance from the sea. Alella is a wine-growing region in its own right, producing excellent white wines (the Alella Designation of Origin is one of the oldest in Catalonia). Alella is also a quiet town with excellent restaurants, such as Can Balcells, located within the Arrey Alella boutique hotel. The historic centre revolves around the church of Sant Feliu, in whose parish archives there is a sketch signed by Antoni Gaudí, dating from 1883. With this natural setting of vineyards, mountains and sea views, it is no wonder that Marc and his family are able to unwind here.
Sant Feliú
Calella, north of Mataró