Heartbreak as Real Madrid starlet retires prematurely at 19 years old due to injury complications

Over two years after being injured in a match between Celtic and Real Madrid in the UEFA Youth League match, Los Blancos prospect Marc Cucalon has been forced to prematurely end his promising career as a footballer at the age of just 19 years old.

The teenage midfielder ruptured his ACL against Celtic, and while undergoing surgery, he suffered the attack of a bacteria that crept into the cartilage of the joint and caused him a feared and rare infection.

Still having difficulty doing physical exercise, the negative prognosis and medical advice have led to Cucalon’s decision to hang up his boots and focus on his rehabilitation.

Nicknamed the Xabi Alonso of La Fabrica, Cucalon was one of the young prospects on whom Juvenil A coach Alvaro Arbeloa had very high hopes. In fact, the club legend chose the youngster as captain of his U-19 team in the 2022-23 season.

The injury should have kept him away from the pitches for between six and nine months, but everything was complicated during the operation due to a bacteria he caught, which undermined the capacity of his joint.

Given that the problem is not receding quickly enough, Cucaon, advised by his family and friends, has decided to bid adieu to his professional football career, confirming as much with a social media post.

“I didn’t know how to start this letter. So I’ll do it by saying thank you to everyone. From the heart. For all the support you have given me during this time,” he started.

“After several complications, that injury has forced me to make the tough decision to say goodbye to football, at least in the way I had always dreamed of.”

Continuing, Cucalon insisted that this was not a sad goodbye but a happy one, having been given the opportunity to play for his dream club.

“Don’t get me wrong: this is not a sad farewell at all. After all, I think I have been truly privileged to have been part of the best club in the world and to have lived a dream. I’ve learned and matured as a person and as a player.”

Concluding, the 19-year-old thanked everyone who has been part of his journey as well as his family and friends for all the support they had given him through the ordeal.