Marc Cucurella: “We’re Here to Defend Our Trophy”
The 2024/25 UEFA Nations League resumes this week with the semi-final stage set to unfold in Germany. Hosts Germany face Portugal tonight in Munich, while France take on defending champions Spain tomorrow in Stuttgart.
Speaking ahead of the highly anticipated clash against France, Spanish defender Marc Cucurella expressed confidence in his team’s ability to rise to the occasion.
“There are no easy opponents in a Nations League semi-final,” Cucurella told UEFA.com. “We faced France in the EURO 2024 semi-final last year, and they made us work very hard.
That time, things worked out for us. If we play our game, keep possession well and fight for each other, we can do it again. France are a very strong side. Mbappé is a great player, but we’re here to defend our title, and they should be just as concerned about us as we are about them.”
The semi-final between Spain and France kicks off on Thursday, 5 June at 21:00 CET in Stuttgart. The winner will advance to the final on 8 June, hosted at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Tonight’s semi-final between Germany and Portugal is scheduled for Tuesday, 4 June at 21:00 CET.
