NEW YORK, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Spain left back Marc Cucurella said Spain's opening World Cup draw against Cabo Verde had served as a warning ahead of its second group match against Saudi Arabia, while also discussing his surprise move to Real Madrid.
Cucurella spoke to the press on Thursday at Spain's training camp in Chattanooga, Tennessee, after the 0-0 draw against Cabo Verde, one of the biggest surprises of the opening round of the World Cup.
The result has raised concerns among the Spanish press, although Cucurella preferred to look on the bright side.
"We all wanted to win, but it's clear that no match in this World Cup has been easy," he said, adding that although Spain wasn't "accurate" in front of goal, "it's better that it happened in the first match and not in the knockout rounds."
Spain next faces Saudi Arabia, which held Uruguay to a draw in its opening match, and Cucurella said he expected a similar challenge.
He added that "perhaps the result against Cape Verde has put us on alert; any team can beat you, so maybe a return to reality has been good for us."
Cucurella was confirmed earlier this week as Real Madrid's first signing of the summer, a move made all the more surprising by the fact he began his career with FC Barcelona. However, he insisted he had no problem moving to the Santiago Bernabeu.
"It all happened very quickly," explained Cucurella. "They called me in the morning and asked if I wanted to go there. I didn't hesitate at all, as it was a big step in my career. We had the deal done in a day and a half."
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid had been linked with the former Chelsea defender, but he said that "Real Madrid came in very strong, and that was very important. I wasn't in an easy situation and having the opportunity to finalize the transfer before the World Cup started was very important. When a team like Real Madrid comes to you, it's very difficult to tell them no," he concluded. ■
