Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouameni spoke to the media in Rome ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League clash with AS Roma, playing down the need for a creative midfielder, saying: “I have my own opinion on that, and the rest is up to you to decide what we need. We give it our all with what we’ve got. We’re top-class in certain areas, but the most important thing is to work as a team in midfield.”
Tchouameni on referees
“I don’t want to talk about the referees. They try their best, but at the moment we’re very frustrated
with the decisions. The most important thing is that we won, and now we need to look ahead.”
Tchouameni on the relationship between midfield and the forwards
“For us, it’s all about what happens on the pitch. You can ask the forwards about their relationships. What I see is that we have a good team spirit and every player tries to help out as much as possible. And now the signing of Diomande helps us a bit more. We’ll give it our all to win trophies.”
Tchouameni on his opinion on the midfield
“I’m not going to talk about that. The most important thing is tomorrow’s match. You can ask the manager or the chairman, but I’m a player. I have my own opinion, but I won’t be discussing that today.”
Tchouameni on Roma
“We know we’re up against a great team. I watch their matches and it’ll be a tough one. It’s an away game, too, but we’ve got the quality to win. We’ll give it our best shot.”
Tchouameni on this season compared to recent seasons
“We know that when we play for Madrid, there’s criticism. The most important thing is to keep a cool head and try to improve as a team. We can certainly do things better, and we’re working to improve day by day. The most important thing is what we win at the end of the season. And we’ll fight for it.”
Tchouameni on the style of play
“There are lots of things we can improve on. With the ball at our feet, we certainly haven’t played at our best since the start, but we’re working on it in training and I’m sure we’ll improve.”
Tchouameni on the number of kilometres covered
“We have to run intelligently. They’re just statistics. Sometimes they show what we need to do, and sometimes they don’t. On occasions, we’ve certainly played well without running that much.”
Tchouameni on his conversations with Mourinho
“Yes, we’ve spoken and he told me what he wanted, how I can help. Little by little, I’m getting back to my best and regaining my fitness.”
Tchouameni on what Mourinho asks of him
“In Valencia, he asked me for balance; it’s important given all the attacking players we have. And to look forward when on the ball, to score goals, but above all, balance.”
Tchouameni on the Ballon d’Or
“Kylian deserves it. He’s had an incredible season, and if not Kylian, then other French players like Ousmane and Olise, who’ve done very well.”
Tchouameni on whether Mourinho is too results-focused
“That’s your opinion. I’m sure the manager wants to win, and that’s the most important thing.”
