MARC CUCURELLA wiped away tears as he revealed the emotional strain of his son’s autism.
Cucurella and partner Claudia Rodriguez opened up in series two of Amazon Prime’s Married To The Game.
X formerly Twitter / @primevideosportMarc Cucurella broke down in tears discussing his son’s autism[/caption]
X formerly Twitter / @primevideosportCucurella and partner Claudia Rodriguez spoke on Married To The Game[/caption]
The Chelsea left-back, 26, has three children with his long-term girlfriend – Mateo, Rio and Claudia.
Mateo was diagnosed with autism soon after Cucurella completed his £65million transfer from Brighton to Stamford Bridge in 2022.
Now the Spanish couple have bravely shared how their son’s neurodevelopmental condition impacts family life.
Autism – especially in children – can make it difficult to process emotions and deal with changes, often prompting inconsolable tears.
The spectrum of symptoms also includes being over- or under-sensitive to senses, having repetitive behaviours or struggling socially.
Rodriguez said: “We saw that some things were different from the other kids.
“We didn’t find too much help from the school and we had our worst months.
“Every day we went together to drop Mateo off – I was pregnant with Rio as well – and we went back home every day crying.”
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As she said that, Cucurella broke down in tears.
Cucurella said: “Okay, your kid is autistic, but the parents are not ready with this so we need to learn a lot.
What is autism?
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an incurable, lifelong developmental condition that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others.
It affects around one in 100 people in the UK and is three to four times more common in boys than in girls.
Many people with ASD find it hard to understand other people’s feelings and emotions, and they may have difficulty holding conversations.
When they are young, their language development may take longer and they can struggle to use facial expressions, using gestures to communicate instead.
They may also find it hard to connect with other people and to hold eye contact with unfamiliar individuals.
Many children with ASD like to follow a routine, and changes to this can cause distress.
High functioning autism is an informal term some people use to describe those on the autism spectrum disorder.
“When we speak about Mateo we always…” before choking up and added: “Ask Claudia now, I will come back soon.”
Rodriguez encouraged her boyfriend as “really sensitive” about the whole situation.
Speaking on holiday, Rodriguez explained: “It’s a lot of changes in the same week.
“It’s difficult to be in other places, on another timetable, eating other food, on other plans with no school and no therapy. It’s hard for him.
“You have to think about Mateo all the time. Sometimes you want to do some things but we can’t because it’s not good for Mateo.
“Holidays is always difficult.”
Key characteristics of autism
These are some features of autism that many people with it experience. Autism is a spectrum, so everyone shows symptoms differently.
Sensitive to senses
Autistic people can be much more or less sensitive than non-autistic people to the five main senses (sight, sound, touch, taste and smell).
This also extends to senses for balance, movement, spatial awareness and awareness of internal states, such as hunger and temperature.
Social differences
People with autism may find social interactions harder because they have difficulty; interpratiting social cues; facial expressions; maintaining eye contact; recognising sarcasm.
They may find tehy prefer to spend time alone because social interactions can be confusing.
Autism can be verbal (someone who uses communication) or non-verbal (they use other means to communicate). People can flit between the two.
Repetitive behaviours
‘Restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests’ is often listed as a trait of autism, but the National Autistic Society says many people with the condition actually find these behaviours as positive and helpful.
It is also sometimes referred to as stimming or self-regulatory behaviour.
Examples include having a strong passion or interest in a hobby, repeated behaviours like hair twirling or rocking, and preference for routine or rules to be followed.
Emotional dysregulation
People with autism may struggle to manage feelings such as frustration, anxiety, or sadness, which could lead to a ‘meltdown’ (extreme or intense outburst of emotions) or ‘shutdown’ (withdrawal).
Source: National Autistic Society
The emotional video ends with Rodriguez consoling and hugging Cururella as he continues to cry while holding her hand.
The video – shared by Amazon Prime Video Sport – prompted a wave of classy replies from fans.
One said: “This was so beautiful to watch, Cucurella and his partner Claudia are great parents.”
Another wrote: “Cucu is a strong man!”
A third added: “Mad respect man, love him even more now.”
A fourth typed: “Respect. You’re a truly extraordinary father. You’ re doing great.”
And a final user commented: “I hope football fans are more empathetic to footballers going forward when they have a bad form. They are human beings too and they could be going through personal challenges at home.”
Cucurella has enjoyed a superb season under Enzo Maresca for Chelsea.
After helping Spain win Euro 2024, he has proven himself to be a brilliant inverted full-back – chipping in with six goals and four assists.
X formerly Twitter / @primevideosportMateo can struggle with changes which makes holidays tricky[/caption]
X formerly Twitter / @primevideosportThe couple have three children together[/caption]
X formerly Twitter / @primevideosportClaudia comforted Cucurella as the emotions poured out[/caption] Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
