Real Madrid ended their pre-season preparations on a positive note with a convincing 3-0 victory over Schalke 04 in Germany. However, despite the comfortable result, two Madrid players received a particularly hostile reception from sections of the home crowd: Marc Cucurella and Vinicius Junior.
Cucurella booed on his Real Madrid debut
Marc Cucurella made his first appearance for Real Madrid on Sunday, marking an important moment following his arrival at the Spanish giants. The Spanish left-back came on in the 61st minute, replacing Álvaro Carreras, but his introduction was immediately met with loud whistles from the stands.
The reaction had little to do with Real Madrid or Schalke. Instead, it appeared to be connected to an incident involving Cucurella during Euro 2024.
Spain eliminated Germany 2-1 in the quarter-finals of the tournament after an intense and controversial encounter. During the match, a shot inside the Spanish penalty area struck Cucurella’s hand. German players and supporters appealed for a penalty, but referee Anthony Taylor decided not to award one.
The decision caused huge frustration in Germany and remained one of the most discussed moments of the tournament. Spain eventually went on to win the match and later lift the European Championship trophy.
Two years later, it seems that some German supporters have still not forgotten the incident. Cucurella was therefore greeted with whistles when he entered the pitch against Schalke.
Despite the hostile reception, the defender was able to enjoy a successful debut in a Real Madrid shirt as José Mourinho’s side completed a comfortable 3-0 victory.
Vinicius Junior also targeted by Schalke supporters
Cucurella was not the only Real Madrid player to receive a negative reaction from the crowd. Vinicius Junior was also heavily booed during the friendly.
Almost every time the Brazilian winger touched the ball, whistles and jeers could be heard around the stadium. The treatment was somewhat surprising considering Vinicius had never previously played against Schalke.
There was therefore no obvious sporting rivalry between the Brazilian international and the German club that could explain the reaction.
However, this is not the first time Vinicius has faced this kind of reception in a stadium where he had no previous history.
No me puedo creer que Vinicius esté ya picado con algún gordo de la grada lanzándole besitos en un amistoso. Es agotador, qué frágil es. pic.twitter.com/QfaQvUEjsl
— • (@yipikayei7) August 16, 2026
During Real Madrid’s previous friendly against Deportivo La Coruña at the Riazor, the Brazilian was also booed by sections of the home crowd. Again, Vinicius had never previously faced Deportivo or played at the Galician club’s stadium.
The repeated hostile reactions underline the special attention that continues to surround the Real Madrid forward wherever he plays.
For Mourinho and Real Madrid, however, the most important aspect of the evening was the result. The Spanish giants completed their friendly schedule with a convincing 3-0 victory, while Cucurella was finally able to make his first appearance for his new club despite the unusual atmosphere surrounding his debut.
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