Controversy recurs: The grudge between Kukurelia and German fans is still there

Spanish defender Cucurella continued to be booed by German fans in the final round of the National League. This incident actually typically reflects a kind of "fan culture" in the football world and the psychological quality of players.

Let's first analyze the source of this boo. It comes from the game where Spain eliminated the host Germany team a year ago, at the 2024 European Cup. At that time, Kukurelia had a suspected handball action and was not punished, which became a "hindrance" that German fans could not overcome. Therefore, even though Spain did not play against the German team in this National League match, as long as the game was held in German cities (Stuttgart and Munich), German fans would seize the opportunity and vent this dissatisfaction on Cucurella alone.

This behavior is actually a continuation of the fans' emotions. What matters to them is not who plays in this game, but who they see the person who "heartbreaks" them in the European Cup. This kind of boo may not make logical sense, but emotionally, it is completely understandable.

What is more interesting is the reaction of the party involved, Kukurelia and head coach Dela Fuente.

Kukurelia's own words were very mature and very skillful. He said that when he used to play for Chelsea's old club Brighton, he heard more booing than this, and this matter would not affect him. This shows that as a professional player, he already has a very good psychological tolerance, knows how to filter out these noises outside the court and focus on the game itself. He also said that fans spend money on tickets and instead of booing someone who has nothing to do with the game, it is better to enjoy a wonderful semi-final. This view seems very rational and generous.

And head coach Dela Fuente's statement is a standard way for a good coach to protect his players. He said "I don't know why they booed him, but it only motivated him to play better". On the one hand, this sentence is to openly support one's players, and on the other hand, it is also to psychologically skillfully transform a negative external factor into a positive factor that can inspire players' fighting spirit.

So, overall, this incident is a good example. It tells us that in top football games, it tests not only the skills under the players' feet, but also the players' psychological adjustment ability under tremendous pressure, and the head coach's management wisdom when dealing with emergencies.