Marc Cucurella on Noni Madueke: "He Could’ve Had That Moment"
- Think Football Ideas
- Jul 23
- 2 min read
Updated: Aug 17
On a sun-drenched afternoon in southern Spain, far away from roaring crowds and pre-season drills, Marc Cucurella paused mid-answer and raised an eyebrow. The topic? Noni Madueke and the curious timing of his departure from Chelsea.
“I mean, yeah... it was a bit strange,” Cucurella said, candidly addressing a group of teenage footballers at his grassroots Q&A. “I think he missed a good opportunity.”
He wasn’t being cruel, just honest. Madueke had, after all, featured prominently in Chelsea’s journey to the Club World Cup final. He was part of the group. Five appearances.
Tangible contribution. And yet, when the squad was preparing for their biggest moment, lifting a trophy under American skies, Madueke was boarding a flight to sign with Arsenal.
Cucurella couldn’t hide his confusion. “He wasn’t a starter, that’s true. But come on... it was one more day. He could’ve waited.”
One more day. One more game. One more photo in a medal and a tracksuit, standing shoulder to shoulder with his teammates as the confetti fell. Instead, Chelsea celebrated a 3-0 dismantling of PSG in the final, and Madueke watched it unfold as a player no longer part of that story.
There’s no suggestion of bad blood. If anything, Cucurella’s words echoed disappointment more than judgment, as though he’d seen a teammate unknowingly walk past a life moment he might later regret.
“Everything was moving with his transfer, I get that,” he added. “But still, I think he missed a pretty good opportunity.”
Madueke, now officially an Arsenal player, has already turned the page. His unveiling last week was slick, branded, and full of promise. “Humbled and blessed,” he wrote. The words were clean. Polished. But there’s no hashtag for what he left behind in blue.
As for Cucurella, that decision will likely always feel just a little “off.”
Comments