How Marc Cucurella’s arrival solves a key Champions League headache for Real Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid have made waves in the market by signing Marc Cucurella in a big-money deal from Chelsea, just ahead of the World Cup.

Cucurella’s addition to the team will go a long way in solving Real Madrid’s left-back problem, with the player particularly being favoured by new coach Jose Mourinho.

However, apart from solving Real Madrid’s defensive problems, Cucurella will also help address another key issue at Real Madrid.

Real Madrid’s Champions League quota solved

According to AS, Cucurella’s arrival helps Real Madrid offset the loss of Dani Carvajal, both in the short and medium term, when it comes to satisfying UEFA’s registration requirements.

Marc Cucurella qualifies as a home-grown player. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)

UEFA allows clubs to register 25 players for the Champions League. Of those, 17 slots are freely available, while the remaining eight come with conditions.

Those eight are reserved for players developed at clubs within the same country, and of that group, four must have come through the youth ranks at the registering club itself.

The criterion is not based on nationality, which would constitute employment discrimination, but on where a player was developed between the ages of 15 and 21.

Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr., for example, are considered locally developed players by UEFA despite being foreign nationals, while Brahim Diaz does not qualify due to his time at Manchester City.

Real Madrid’s current standing

For now, Real Madrid have no pressing concern in this area. Even after Carvajal’s departure, the squad still contains nine players considered Spanish-developed.

Is Cucurella a sensible signing for Real Madrid? (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Arda Guler will soon join that list, too. The Turkish playmaker completed his third consecutive season at the club this past year, granting him homegrown status in UEFA’s eyes.

Together with Cucurella, that would take Real Madrid to 11 players meeting the homegrown criteria.

Cucurella qualifies comfortably, having spent his entire youth career at Spanish clubs including Espanyol, Barcelona, Eibar and Getafe before moving to Brighton in 2021 at the age of 23.

A medium-term safeguard

Although there is no pressing need for it, Cucurella’s addition does give Real Madrid a medium-term safeguard.

After all, Ceballos has a contract expiring in 2027, the same year as Fran Garcia and Gonzalo Garcia, both of whom could depart.

With Cucurella having signed a six-year deal until 2032, Real Madrid have secured a long-term Spanish quota player for the Champions League.