Chelsea F.C. left-back Marc Cucurella has attributed his side’s elimination from the UEFA Champions League to inexperience and tactical lapses against Paris Saint-Germain F.C..
The Blues were knocked out in the Round of 16 after suffering defeats in both legs to the French champions, who advanced to the quarter-finals with an emphatic 8–2 aggregate scoreline.
Speaking in an interview with The Athletic, the Spain international admitted that Chelsea struggled to cope with the magnitude of the occasion, particularly given the limited experience of several players in high-stakes European fixtures.
“We lacked experience. For a lot of players, it was the first time playing a match of that calibre, and we paid the price,” Cucurella said.
He explained that while mistakes are part of the game, the team failed to manage critical moments properly, especially in the first leg.
“You can always make a mistake, but we should have handled it better. There was a return game to play, and if you keep a cool head, you go back to London with a 3–2 defeat — the score with five minutes left of normal time in the first leg — and anything can happen,” he noted.
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Cucurella also pointed to what he described as a lack of structure in Chelsea’s attacking approach, which ultimately allowed PSG to capitalise.
“We made a mistake, tried to attack without a clear structure and then PSG took the chance and proved they have that cutting edge,” he added.
The defender acknowledged the emotional toll of the heavy aggregate defeat, describing it as difficult for a squad that has worked intensely throughout the season.
“Results like that are always hard to take. You are fighting and training every day only to realise, at the very end, that when games matter, we are still a bit away from the top level,” he said.
PSG’s clinical finishing and experience on the European stage ultimately proved decisive, as the Ligue 1 giants progressed comfortably to the last eight, while Chelsea were left to reflect on missed opportunities and lessons learned from the campaign.
The result has intensified discussions around Chelsea’s squad development and tactical maturity, with observers noting that bridging the experience gap could be crucial if the club hopes to compete consistently at Europe’s highest level in the coming seasons.