Why Leipzig fans booed Mark Cucurella at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu

Mark Cucurella was repeatedly booed by supporters during Real Madrid’s 4-1 victory over Leipzig in the Champions League, but the hostility was not initially coming from the home fans.

The left-back entered the match as a substitute for Carreras in the 70th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday, during the third round of the Champions League league phase.

Each time Cucurella touched the ball, whistles and jeers rang out around the stadium. The reaction appeared confusing at first, with many assuming that Real Madrid supporters were targeting one of their own players.

According to Spanish newspaper Marca, however, the source of the noise was a group of Leipzig fans who had managed to spread throughout the ground.

Real Madrid’s security plan had anticipated the presence of about 2,000 German supporters in the upper section of the north stand. In reality, hundreds of Leipzig fans used the unofficial ticket market and other channels to enter different parts of the stadium, where they mixed with the home support.

Their dispersed presence made the jeering sound as though it was coming from every corner of the Santiago Bernabeu rather than from one clearly identifiable section.

The Leipzig supporters had not forgotten an incident involving Cucurella during the quarter-final of Euro 2024, nor had they forgiven him for it.

In a tense period of extra time, a shot from Musiala struck Cucurella’s hand. Neither the referee nor the video assistant referee awarded a penalty, and Spain went on to reach the semi-finals.

The controversy deepened when UEFA itself officially acknowledged several months later that the incident should have resulted in a penalty.

The reaction from the visiting supporters surprised the stadium during the opening minutes of Cucurella’s appearance because of the unusual circumstances. Real Madrid’s fans, though, soon became frustrated by what was happening.

Once the rest of the Bernabeu crowd understood why Cucurella was being singled out, they moved to support him. They applauded whenever he received the ball, helping to ease the hostile atmosphere created by the Leipzig fans.

The incident took place during a comfortable night for Real Madrid, who secured a four-goal victory over their visitors. Yet the most striking response in the stadium was reserved for Cucurella, whose every touch became the focus of a dispute carried over from Euro 2024.