Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni has opened up on his struggles at the Santiago Bernabeu over the past couple of seasons. The French midfielder has been singled out as one of their most consistent players this season, a major difference from where he was 18 months ago.
Los Blancos are now in their second season adapting to the loss of Toni Kroos in midfield, and Tchouameni was expected to be one of the players to step up in his absence. However in a season where Real Madrid were battling injuries and inconsistency, Tchouameni was forced to play in defence often, a position he struggled in.
At one stage, the criticism reached the point where he was being whistled by the Bernabeu, while in the media, there was talk he could be sold in the summer. Speaking to the Pivot Podcast, as carried by Diario AS, Tchouameni said he was the fall guy for the team’s problems.
“I was made a scapegoat. In the first 10-20 minutes, the stadium was booing every time I touched the ball. That situation either destroys you, or you think, ‘that’s just how it is,’ let’s see what I can control, and the only thing I can control is my performance. The level of pressure at Real Madrid is something different. People are going to talk about everything you do, whether it’s good or bad.”
‘It helped me mentally’ – Tchouameni
Nevertheless, Tchouameni has come out the other side of the tunnel. He goes on to explain that it made him mentally stronger.
“Everyone was talking about me, about the way I played. A year or two ago, I was a bad player, I was booed in the stadium, so I felt like I’d been through a lot, and it definitely helped me mentally. Now I know that no matter what I do, people are going to talk, so I just ignore it. Playing for Real Madrid is the biggest stage in sport: the pressure is a privilege.”
‘The next step is to stop playing’ – Tchouameni on racist abuse
The most depressing moment of the season from a Real Madrid perspective this season was the racist abuse suffered by Vinicius Junior during their clash with Benfica in the Champions League. Tchouameni said that the next time it happened, his side would walk off.
“They called him a monkey. I feel like the next step will be to stop playing. We’re not going to allow those scenes to happen again.”
