Marc Cucurella will not work alongside Xabi Alonso at Stamford Bridge next season after leaving Chelsea to join Real Madrid for £52m.
Reece James will not play with Mark Cucurella next season (Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Chelsea captain Reece James said he was “devastated” after Mark Cucurella was sent off at Stamford Bridge.
Spanish left-back Cucurella made a shock £52m move to Real Madrid and James admitted he was sad to see him leave. “I spoke to him a few days ago and he’s obviously a great player, one of the best left-backs in the world,” James said.
“This is his football. Players move on every few months. It’s a shock to see him go, but I wish him the best.”
James has already revealed that he is in talks with Chelsea’s new manager, Xabi Alonso, and his appointment is a major coup for the club. But James says he is excited to be working with Alonso, having already worked with his childhood hero Frank Lampard.
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James told talkSPORT: “I’ve talked to him a few times on the phone. I haven’t met him (Alonso) in person yet. Everyone I’ve talked to about him says he’s a great, great coach. I’ve known him better since he was a player. You know, he’s had a great career and I’m excited to have him now.”
“It’s strange. It was when I was with Frank Lampard when I was young. He was one of my idols growing up and then when he took over as manager it was a surreal moment. I’m delighted and excited that Xabi Alonso will be our manager.”
But for now, James is fully focused on England’s World Cup campaign. He was praised by manager Thomas Tuchel for his double role in the 4-2 win over Croatia and is enjoying the competitive environment.
Reece James is enjoying working with England international Thomas Tuchel (Image: Alex Menendez/Getty Images)
“If you look at the quality of our players, we have a lot of world-class players on our team. We also have a lot of players who have won back-to-back big titles, so we definitely have a winning mentality. I think that’s probably the key,” James said.
“It was a dream come true for me. It was a moment I had been waiting for for a long time. I was happy to be called up after a long season at Chelsea. I feel that the manager has faith in me. We worked together before at Chelsea, we won trophies together and I love playing under him.”
“Him as a person, him as a manager, that connects really well with him. I like the manager side of him and I like the personal side of him.
“If you look at the top managers, there are some great coaches who specialize solely in football, but there are also coaches who are very good people and others who are not so great. But for me, he ticks both boxes.”
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