Aurelien Tchouameni has apologised to Real Madrid and the club’s fans for taking an unauthorised trip to Paris to attend a basketball game.
The midfielder was injured for Madrid’s recent Cip del Rey tie but upset the club by travelling to France.
“Real Madrid is a great team and the best club in the world – the demands and pressure are enormous,” said Tchouameni (via Real Madrid’s website).
“My trip to Paris was a mistake. I’m still young and it won’t happen again. This club is the best in the world and I have to perform at a high level on a daily basis.
“Becoming a world champion with Madrid is a dream come true, and it might happen tomorrow.
“Last year’s Champions League was spectacular, and now we want to win this trophy. We are going to give everything to win it. Be solid in defence and clinical in attack. We have to play as a team, be compact and score goals.
“At Real Madrid, we want to win every trophy. Saturday will be a chance to add to the fabulous trophy cabinet we have, and I will give it everything to help the team to win it. I’m here to win trophies, and we have the chance to win another.
“We know their players and if they’ve reached the final it’s because they’re doing a good job. It’ll be a great match against a very tough team. We have to do things right and perform at our best to win.”
The 23-year-old also challenged La Liga to do something about the racism Vinicius Junior experienced over the past weeks. He asked the league to show zero tolerance and take action to change the situation.
Tchouameni went on to answer questions about his skills as a midfielder. Many people have claimed he functions best as part of a double pivot in midfield, leading to struggles as the sole holding midfielder at the base of a midfield three for Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid side.
The former AS Monaco man acknowledged the roles were different but said he is happy to play them. He reminded everyone that he played both systems in Ligue 1 and for Les Bleus.
Tchouameni has blown hot and cold since his €80 million move to Madrid last summer. He has shown his world-class ability but has also struggled to influence games.
He is still acclimatising to his new team and league. Madrid also has to adjust to him after years of having Casemiro in the line-up.
The struggles are understandable, and he will likely shake them off.
