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Beyond the boos: Marc Cucurella's personal battle with son's autism diagnosis
🇦🇷 Argentina /Health & Science

Beyond the boos: Marc Cucurella's personal battle with son's autism diagnosis

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Real Madrid defender Marc Cucurella faced public criticism after a handball incident during the Euro 2024 quarterfinals.
  • Behind the sports "villain" image, Cucurella and his partner are navigating their eldest son Mateo's autism diagnosis.
  • The family's journey has been challenging, marked by a lack of early guidance and emotional struggles, but small advancements in Mateo's development bring profound satisfaction.

Real Madrid defender Marc Cucurella, a World Cup winner with Spain, has recently experienced the harsh reality of public perception in elite football. Following a controversial handball call in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals against Germany, Cucurella became a target of boos and whistles across European stadiums, casting him as a sports "villain."

As the first one, I think you don't know where to go, what's happening to him, or what his needs are. You have nothing to compare.

— Marc CucurellaDescribing the initial confusion and lack of guidance when first noticing developmental differences in his son Mateo.

However, this public image starkly contrasts with his personal life, which is defined by deep commitment and a quiet battle. Cucurella and his partner, Claudia Rodríguez, are navigating the complexities of their eldest son Mateo's diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Mateo was born in 2019, and his developmental path differed significantly from his younger siblings, Río and Bella.

Cucurella shared in an interview that the initial process was bewildering due to a lack of close references. "As the first one, I think you don't know where to go, what's happening to him, or what his needs are. You have nothing to compare," he admitted, suggesting that with his current experience, Mateo's diagnosis might have come much earlier.

He had no eye contact, didn't speak, we saw him as very detached, not paying attention.

— Claudia RodríguezDetailing the early signs that raised concerns about Mateo's development.

Rodríguez elaborated on their journey in the program "Madres: desde el corazón," recounting how concerns arose when Mateo was just 13 months old. "He had no eye contact, didn't speak, we saw him as very detached, not paying attention," she detailed. Despite initial assurances that these were normal behaviors, her maternal intuition proved correct. The lack of adequate support in mainstream educational institutions intensified the family's distress. "We went through the worst months. Every day we went to leave Mateo together and came home crying," she recalled.

We went through the worst months. Every day we went to leave Mateo together and came home crying.

— Claudia RodríguezRecounting the emotional hardship the family faced during the diagnostic process.

Cucurella described managing this situation as the true test of his life, admitting the emotional toll. "It's a very personal and difficult issue. It causes me suffering because sometimes I don't know how we can help him, especially when I see him struggling," he confessed. Paradoxically, he finds that overcoming each small barrier in Mateo's development brings a deeper satisfaction than any sporting trophy. "Any progress we achieve fills you much more. With him, even if the progress is small, it feels much more significant."

It's a very personal and difficult issue. It causes me suffering because sometimes I don't know how we can help him, especially when I see him struggling.

— Marc CucurellaExpressing the emotional impact of his son's condition.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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