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| Marc Cucurella of Chelsea in action with Dejan Kulusevski of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge on August 14, 2022 in London, United Kingdom. |
Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella has vowed to never cut his distinctive long hair despite it being bizarrely and controversially pulled by Tottenham Hotspur defender Cristian Romero in Sunday’s fiery draw at Stamford Bridge.
Cucurella insisted he has “no problem” with Romero, who escaped punishment despite grabbing the Chelsea defender by the hair and pulling him to the ground in the final minutes of Sunday’s game.
Thomas Tuchel, the Chelsea head coach, was incensed by the fact that Var took no action over the incident, which came just moments before Harry Kane struck a late equaliser for Spurs.
Cucurella has now said he was similarly surprised that Romero was not punished. Chelsea’s new signing, who was playing in only his second game for the club after his move from Brighton this summer, also said the incident changed the final result of the match.
Asked if he will now cut his hair to prevent such an incident from happening again, Cucurella said: “No, no. This is my style.
“For me it was a clear [foul]. In the game, out on the pitch, I didn’t see the video. But I think with the video it is very clear. This is maybe one error by the referee or the VAR.
“But sometimes the referee makes good decisions, sometimes not good decisions. This is not my problem. The players are focused on the game and maybe we have to work hard to not concede this goal in the last minute in the next games.“The referee in the stadium said they were checking a red card and for me, it’s very clear. The video is very clear. At this moment, with the referee, I don’t know what happened. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad. This is football and in this game, it was an error. But in another game, the referee takes a good decision.”
Asked if it hurt when Romero dragged him to the floor, Cucurella said: “No, for me it is no problem. Before the game I spoke with him and it is a fight on the pitch. I have no problem with him and it is only an action in the game. Maybe it was an important action, as it maybe changed the final result.”
Cucurella moved to Chelsea earlier this month in a deal worth around £60 million. The versatile Spaniard, who can play on the left of a back three, as a left-back or a left wing-back, said he found out upon joining the club that Tuchel had once scouted him while he was playing for Barcelona’s academy.
“It is a lot of money and it is a big responsibility for me,” Cucurella said. “I was surprised because he [Tuchel] watched me when I played in Barcelona. He was a big fan. They gave me this opportunity and I need to work hard for him.”
