I did not know who he was — Marc Cucurella confesses

Chelsea defender, Marc Cucurella, has admitted that he had to resort to Google to learn about his now-teammate Enzo Fernandez during the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The Spanish international revealed that he was completely unaware of the Argentine midfielder before the tournament began.

Fernandez had not featured for Argentina prior to the World Cup and started on the bench for the team’s opening game against Saudi Arabia. However, he later became a key player in Argentina’s World Cup-winning campaign and subsequently became the most expensive player in Premier League history after joining Chelsea from Benfica for a fee of £106.8 million.

Speaking to ESPN, Marc Cucurella said, “I liked to watch matches in which my friends were playing, so I was watching Argentina because of Alexis. I think I said, ‘I really like number 24, he’s very good!’ But I didn’t even know where he played! I had to go and search on my phone [Google]!”

“As I watched more games, I told my family and friends that I really liked him a lot. And then he came to Chelsea! We have [signed] a great midfielder,” Cucurella added.

The revelation by the Chelsea defender sheds light on how even professional footballers sometimes have to resort to online searches to learn about their fellow players. Fernandez’s rise to prominence during the World Cup highlights the unpredictability of the sport and how a player can suddenly emerge as a star, even if they were previously unknown to many.

Chelsea will hope that Fernandez’s impressive performances for Argentina can translate to the Premier League, as they seek to defend their title and make an impact in the Champions League. The Argentine midfielder’s arrival at Stamford Bridge has been widely viewed as a major coup for the London club, and he is expected to play a key role in their future success.