BREAKING NEWS ‼️: LIVE FROM FABRIZIO ROMANO VIA STRIKE90MINS GARY NEVILLE HAS BEEN SLAPPED WITH A CRUEL NICKNAME FOR WHAT HE HAD TO SAY ABOUT CHELSEA AND SPAIN STAR MARC CUCURELLA AT EURO 2024. HE’S AGGRESSIVE, HE’S TENACIOUS, HE’S A BUSY LITTLE FULL BACK, THAT PRICE TAG STILL ASTOUNDS EVERYBODY, I THINK, STILL TO THIS DAY.
Football pundit Gary Neville has faced backlash for his remarks about Chelsea and Spain defender Marc Cucurella during Euro 2024, earning him the unflattering nickname “Gary Clownville.”
Cucurella, who has delivered standout performances in Spain’s initial matches, has helped secure a 3-0 victory over Croatia and a 1-0 win against Italy. The 25-year-old left-back has played every minute of these games, prompting Chelsea fans to express their outrage over Neville’s comments made at the tournament’s outset.
Ahead of Spain’s match against Croatia, Neville expressed doubts about Cucurella’s inclusion in the starting lineup, saying: “I didn’t think he would play. He’s not been convincing at Chelsea; he played a few games towards the end of the season. He’s aggressive, tenacious, a busy little fullback. That price tag still astounds everybody, I think, still to this day. I think he’s one of the reasons we think Spain probably can’t go all the way.”
Following Cucurella’s impressive performances, Chelsea supporters began circulating Neville’s earlier comments on social media, using the derisive nickname to highlight their disapproval. One Chelsea fan, @YoBleuhT, posted on Reddit: “‘Gary Clownville. Cucurella looks more like a reason that Spain will win the Euros. Shut the f*** up, Gary. Imagine singling out a player that by all means had a decent season when called upon and then saying an entire nation will not go far because of that player.”
Another fan, @mushroomsJames, questioned Neville’s credibility, stating: “Who would take Gary’s quotes seriously? He is a failed manager, became a pundit, and then tells managers what to do in difficult situations. Time and time again, he has shown he doesn’t have any idea what he is saying. I very much doubt he even watches matches regularly.”
@coolhand83 offered a more nuanced defense of Cucurella, pointing out: “Cucurella had a few iffy performances early on with us. The club was all over the shop anyway, and his wife was pregnant with their third child, so that probably had a reasonable impact. People like Neville still s*** on him. I think he’s actually pretty well regarded now amongst the majority of our fanbase.”
Chelsea fans continue to support Cucurella, emphasizing his contributions and criticizing Neville for his premature and dismissive assessment.
