Real Madrid youngster dubbed ‘next Xabi Alonso’ was forced to retire at 19 due to heartbreaking reasonThe young Spaniard was highly rated at Real Madrid.A Real Madrid young star who was labelled as the next Xabi Alonso had his career brutally cut short at the age of just 19.
Over the years, a lot of big players have been involved in the Madrid youth system, including the likes of Iker Casillas, Federico Valverde, Dani Carvajal and Alvaro Morata.
However, not every player managed to make it all the way to the top.
For example, Marc Cucalon had his career abruptly halted at just 19 years of age.
Due to his style of play, Cucalon was labelled as the next Alonso.
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However, in 2022, Cucalon’s career took an unfortunate turn.
The youngster was in action for Madrid’s U19 side in the UEFA Youth League against Scottish outfit Celtic.
Cucalon suffered a total tear of the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in his left knee during the match.
At the time, the Spaniard was expected to make a full recovery.
However, due to complications during surgery, a bacteria called Staphylococcus was found in Cucalon’s body, which caused an infection, subsequently damaging the cartilage of his knee.
Recalling the pain he felt at the time, Cucalon said to The Athletic in March: “It was horrifying. I began to feel an inexplicable pain — no matter how much I describe it to you, it is an understatement. I had a high fever, too. No pill relieved the pain. And I told my parents that we had to go to Madrid.”
Cucalon went on to reveal that he had further surgeries in a bid to get rid of the pain.
He said: “Then we had the last operation, in February 2024, which was a little bit bigger. They opened me from my thigh almost to my calf. The bacteria had gone and everything was less painful. In this operation, they even put screws in me to try to reach the maximum flexion to be able to walk or sit normally.
“I started working with the physios at Valdebebas, again morning and afternoon, seven days a week. I remember that we would stay there chatting until the early hours.”
However, Cucalon failed to make a full recovery and had to make the brutal decision to retire from football, which was announced in November 2024.
When asked when he decided retirement was the correct call, Cucalon said: “I had it in my head for a long time, because you see that you are not advancing, but from there to take the step (of announcing it)…
“I spoke with my representatives, (former Espanyol and Barcelona midfielder) Ivan de la Pena and Cristian Catena, who have been fundamental — along with my family, the greatest support I have ever had — and when you see that you can’t even play a ‘pachanga’ (kickabout)…”
He added: “For a boy whose dream was to be a footballer, to quit at the age of 19 is very, very complicated, but with everything you’ve been through, you even feel proud to be able to quit football. I couldn’t do any more.
“I decided on it after the (fifth) operation. I remember (Emilio) Butragueno (the former Madrid player and the club’s head of institutional relations) called me and gave me encouragement from him and Florentino (Perez, Madrid’s president). He said they were there for whatever I needed, that it had been a short career but they were very proud of me.”
