‘I tried to tempt Rodri to join Real Madrid’ — Cucurella

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By Adegboyega Adeleye

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Marc Cucurella has revealed that he tried to tempt Spain teammate Rodri into joining him at Real Madrid before the midfielder chose Barcelona instead.

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Cucurella made the revelation in an interview with Cadena SER, admitting he sent Rodri a “subtle message” before the transfer news broke in an attempt to convince him to move to the Bernabéu.

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“I don’t really like pressuring or influencing teammates,” Cucurella said.

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“These are personal things. It’s true that I sent him a subtle message, before the news broke, saying I hoped we’d become teammates.

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“He replied, but didn’t give anything away. I’m happy for him [at Barça], though I hope he doesn’t have too much success.”

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Rodri had been close to joining Real Madrid from Manchester City as part of the club’s rebuild before opting to sign for Barcelona.

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Both players are currently with the Spain squad preparing for Saturday’s Nations League meeting with England at Wembley, but now represent rival clubs on opposite sides of El Clásico.

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Cucurella is one of six new signings at Madrid under new manager José Mourinho, although the club have already suffered defeats against Real Betis and Atlético Madrid.

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“We didn’t finish the period before the break in the best way,” Cucurella said.

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“It’s all a process, but the important thing is to build a solid foundation… Let’s see if we can find a good balance and build a strong, united group. If the season ends the way we all want it to, no one will remember the start.”

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Cucurella and Vinícius Júnior were repeatedly targeted down Madrid’s left flank during the derby defeat, but the Spain international said their partnership was still developing.

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“It’s good playing with Vini, but ultimately, we’ve barely had any training time,” he said.

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“Connecting with me is different compared to other full-backs, but it’s a process. From what I see, and with the effort he’s putting in — knowing it’s not his natural strength — Vinicius is really doing his part.”

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Statistics have also shown that Madrid’s players have covered less total distance than their LaLiga rivals so far this season, although Cucurella rejected the suggestion that it was a concern.

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“That stat surprised me,” he said.

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“But we do run a lot. We’re talking about these figures because we lost the derby against Atleti. If we hadn’t lost, no one would be mentioning it.”

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