Marc Cucurella has revealed what went through his head the first time he experienced the infamous whistles of the Real Madrid crowd in the 2–1 Champions League win over Inter Milan.
Despite winning five from seven at the start of the 2026–27 season, Madrid have endured a somewhat bumpy start to their new era.
José Mourinho arrived during the summer as the club’s new manager, while Cucurella was one of six first-team transfers. However, bruising defeats to Real Betis and Atlético Madrid have dented the club’s hopes of a first La Liga title since 2024, while Los Blancos have kept just one clean sheet so far in 2026–27.
There has been bubbling discontent from the Bernabéu crowd, with Vinícius Júnior among those targeted with boos and whistled in several outings already this season.
‘Wake-Up Call’—Cucurella Plays Down Whistles
Speaking to El Larguero, Cucurella smiled when asked about the famously exacting standards of the Bernabéu.
“To be honest, I’m already used to it because I’m a player that gets whistled at quite a lot, so it’s nothing new to me,” he joked.
“But it’s true that it still impacts me a little and I think ‘wow they whistle quickly here.’ I remember the game against Inter, they just kicked off [for the second half] and in the second minute or so, I don’t think we’d even touched the ball, we were defending and the stadium was already whistling ... and I think ‘my God, we haven’t even had time to touch the ball!’”
He continued: “But, in the end, this crowd has seen a lot of great players and magical nights and I understand it’s a wake-up call in the sense of demanding more from us, knowing we have the talent and we can do more.
“There’s also the good side. When the stadium pushes you on, it’s impressive. I’m looking forward to having one of those magical nights like I’ve seen on TV and let’s see if I get to experience one myself.”
Are Real Madrid Fans Spoilt?
Cucurella is just the latest in a long line of players to experience the whistles at the Bernabéu.
The jeering is nothing new, though the crowd’s tolerance levels have gotten shorter in the last two seasons with the club struggling to compete domestically and in Europe.
For most clubs, the fans animus towards their team is unfathomable given their position. However, there is some context. As the world’s biggest and—by many metrics—most successful soccer club, standards are high at Real Madrid where sometimes it is not enough to simply win, you must win well.
The disgruntlement at the Bernabéu has been exacerbated by last season’s off-field chaos, which left a bad taste in the mouths of many supporters.
Certain players are also targeted more than others, with Vinícius Jr. a ‘favorite’ of the boo-boys this season as result of his poor form and protracted contract saga.
Responding to the fans whistling of the Brazilian in the win over Inter Milan, Mourinho told reporters: “There is a proverb in Portugal: you only throw stones at trees that bear fruit.”
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