Marc Cucurella on laying the foundations and his delight for Reece James

Marc Cucurella believes Chelsea’s finish to the season will set the tone for what comes next for the Blues.

The defender was a key player for us throughout 2024/25, but especially during the second half of the campaign, when he regularly popped up with crucial contributions.

Cucurella was there in Nottingham, and he was there in Wroclaw, as we secured Champions League football for next term and then lifted silverware. He says this is just the start.

‘This season has been very good,’ enthused the Spaniard.

‘The most important thing is that we have achieved the objectives at the beginning of the season, so it’s a big season for us.

‘We have started building something important. We have been together now for a couple of years, so hopefully it’s just the beginning and we can achieve something important.’

Cucurella reserved special praise for Reece James, who like him finished the season strongly. The skipper played such a pivotal impact coming off the bench at half-time in the Conference League final, and Cucurella explained why it was no more than James deserved.

‘When I joined Chelsea, he was one of the best players I had ever seen in training, with his pace, his power,' added the left-back.

‘He came through tough moments because he’s had a lot of injuries and he needed to spend a lot of time off the pitch, but he is an amazing player and he is a leader.

‘He showed that in the Conference League final. He changed the game, the big players need to stay in the big nights, and we are very happy to have Reece in the team.’

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