Força Albion! Cucurella the latest successful Spanish import to Brighton
The home debut of Marc Cucurella at the Amex as Brighton beat Leicester City 2-1 was one of the most exciting I can remember, a brilliant display of tackling, passing, running with the ball and beating opponents that generated a buzz well beyond BN2.
Cucurella garnered praise from Match of the Day pundits and football correspondents in the national press alike. With the return of Tariq Lamptey on the other flank, the potential pace of attack down both wings is a truly mouth-watering prospect.
The £15 million signing from Getafe seems set to continue a decade-long, near-uninterrupted association with Spanish players at the Albion that began with Inigo Calderon in 2010.
Calderon won a place in the hearts of Brighton fans that is evident whenever he returns and is presented pitch side at half time. He was joined in 2011 by Vicente, a year later by David Lopez (“Spanish Dave” to his many fans at the club), and then Andrea Orlandi. All made a fantastic contribution to the club during those early years in the Championship.
Arguably no Spaniard though has been more taken to the hearts of Albion fans than Bruno. He joined around the same time as Orlandi and Lopez in 2012, going onto play for seven seasons, becoming team captain and a club legend.
Now on the coaching staff, he is no doubt playing his part in welcoming Cucurella to Brighton, helping him settle in and facilitating the kind of early performances we have seen against Brentford, Leicester and Crystal Palace so far.
Of course, the Spanish contribution off the pitch has not been limited to Bruno’s coaching and mentoring skills. Many will have good memories of Oscar Garcia’s stint as first team coach between 2013-14 after Gus Poyet’s departure, when the Albion again reached the playoffs.
In that period the yellow and red flags of Spain could be seen around the Amex and it felt at times like half the squad originated from the Iberian peninsula.
The perhaps underrated Martin Montoya was one of the most recent Spanish players to feature for the Albion in the Premier League between 2018-20, and with his departure and Bruno’s retirement it felt for a while like the Albion’s strong Spanish connection was coming to an end.
Step forward the towering figure of Robert Sanchez, becoming first choice goalkeeper midway through last season and quickly earning a place in the Spanish national squad.
Famously, that Furia Roja squad for the European Championships this summer featured more Brighton players than Real Madrid ones.
In all the controversy and analysis of the Leicester game, Sanchez’s incredible fingertip save has perhaps been underappreciated. His role in winding up Palace supporters following the full time whistle at Selhurst however was not.
Inside the replica shirts this season it reads “10 Years At The Amex”. Not to diminish the contributions of French players like Anthony Knockaert or Neal Maupay, or Argentinians like Leoard Ulloa or Alexis Mac Allister, the Amex decade has been a Spanish decade.
With Sanchez and Cucurella now in the Brighton side, the Spanish connection which has seen so many players become icons of the Amex faithful over the past ten years, seems set to be renewed.
And who knows, maybe next season they will be turning out for the Albion at the Bernabéu or Camp Nou if we qualify for Europe.
Força Albion!
