Marc Cucurella’s girlfriend, Claudia Rodriguez, opened the challenges they were confronted to raise their autistic child together.
The couple appears in the last groom season at the Game, who examines the lives of women and friends of the main League Premier footballers.
The tastes of Jorginho, Leon Bailey and Riyad Mahrez also play in the show alongside their partners, but it is the story of Cucurella and Rodriguez who shoots on the heart.
The couple met when they were adolescents and since then have formed an inseparable link and have three children – Mateo, Rio and Bella.
The eldest son Mateo, four, was diagnosed with autism and, during the show, Rodriguez opened the challenges the couple was confronted.
Speaking in the show, broadcast on April 8, she said: “ We saw something different about Mateo when he was small, about 13 months, but it was a long process to obtain the diagnosis. When it was smaller, it was easier but now it grows, it’s more difficult.
Marc Cucurella’s girlfriend, Claudia Rodriguez, opened the challenges they were confronted to raise their autistic child (illustrated LR: Mateo, Rio and Bella)
Cucurella melted in tears during a trailer for the new series of bride and groom
“When we moved to Chelsea, we started it at school and it was very upset, and we did not know the solution. You have to find it yourself and you feel very bad because you are not prepared.
“You have prepared to be a mom, but not to be a mother of an autistic child, so you feel bad. It was very, very difficult to see it like that, so upset, and we just tried to find the best solution.
“I told Marc that we had to find a special school for him because he does not learn, he did not like his life. I didn’t want to waste time anymore, we had to do something.
“So I found an incredible place in London where they understood it and they understood its needs, so we moved it there and our lives have changed completely. At first, I led him there from our house to Cobham, but it took two o’clock in the morning and two overtime to recover it. I was in the car all day.
“Then we had a flight in this house and I decided that I did not want to go back, so we moved to London and that allowed Mateo to go to his school more easily.”
When asked how Mateo Copes now, she said, “He is good, he sometimes says a few words, repeats them and we work there. You never know what the future will keep for him, but we work there.
“I don’t know if he’s talking or not. I don’t know, but we try to do everything for him. I went to Madrid a week ago to test, all day, we are trying to find solutions, and that’s the best we can do.
Their eldest son Mateo, four, received a diagnosis of autism from an early age
The couple met when they were adolescents and since then have formed an inseparable link
Married to the game follows their growing personal marks as they pursue a career in fashion, modeling and communications among others
Finally, speaking of the aforementioned flight, Rodriguez said: “Marc was upstairs in the shower with Mateo, I was pregnant with Bella and I went to my room to get the milk bottle for Rio, I had it on my hip.
“While I was going to my room, I saw two closed doors and the light on in the chest of drawers and that didn’t look good. This is not how we usually leave it. I opened the door and saw someone in there with a bag, looking at me.
“And I completely understood at that time what was going on. I was terrified – very, very frightened. You know, I was pregnant and with two children in the house.
“I went down to press the panic button, and I shouted to Marc coming. We waited in the laundry room and called the police, called everyone to help us, and it was terrifying.
“It was very difficult to sleep for the next few days, the coming months, even. I couldn’t go nowhere. I always need someone. I would say: “Can you come with me to my room?” ”
Married to the game is available exclusively on Prime Video on April 8.
