Aurelien Tchouameni talks preferred position, Alonso, Ancelotti and being booed at the Bernabeu

A recent injury has kept Aurelien Tchouameni out of action for Real Madrid and also for the French national team during the ongoing international break

The hiatus, however, gives him a chance to recover and rejuvenate with more focus and the player is working hard to make himself available to Xabi Alonso at the earliest.

As of yesterday, the player returned to training with the ball and it is clear that his return from injury is not too far around the corner in what comes as a huge boost for Alonso.

The Frenchman spoke to L’Equipe in a recent interview where he spoke on how winning titles at Real Madrid has only made him hungry for more instead of giving him satisfaction.

“Even though I already won everything early with Real Madrid , I’m very hungry and want to win more league titles & Champions Leagues.”

He also reflected on the widespread opinions and criticism people have of him, especially that he does not provide a creative presence in midfield.

“People’s opinions? When Real Madrid signed me, it was to play like Tchouaméni, not to be a creative player in addition to a defensive midfielder.”

“In the team, everyone knows their role & does their part to make it successful. If you start changing your game based on other people’s opinions, you lose yourself,” he added, speaking with maturity.

He then spoke about how it was vital that every player does what they were brought to do for the team to be successful.

“In the end, what matters is where you played, how long you played there, and how many titles you won.”

The defensive midfielder also revealed the advice Xabi Alonso has given him this season and how he has helped him grow as a player.

“Xabi Alonso’s advice? From day 1, we had a video meeting. He showed me footage focusing on positioning, what I can improve, and what I can build on.”

“Positioning, playing with and without the ball. I feel I’ve improved in certain areas,” he added.

Aurelien Tchouamenifaced criticism from home fans last season. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

Last season, Tchouameni’s lowest point in the season came when he played as Real Madrid’s centre-back, and after a few underwhelming games, he was booed at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“Bernabeu booing me? First of all, you have to remember that in El Clasico, I played as a CB, not in my usual position. When I left the pitch, I knew I hadn’t played well,” he began.

“Very quickly, I got the impression that I was being seen as one of the culprits,” he added.

Revealing how he felt ahead of the next game which was against Celta Vigo, Tchouameni said,

“The day before the Celta game, I said to myself: ‘We’ll see what happens tomorrow at the Bernabeu’.”

“During the warm-up, nothing happened. The game started and I played in midfield. I was pretty confident because that’s my position.

“ We kicked off, I received the ball, and then the boos started,” he added.

The Frenchman then recalled how he was in shock that the jeers were directed at him and how he eventually came to terms with it.

“You couldn’t see it on TV, but in my head, I thought, ‘Is that for me?’. Then Lucas Vazquez got booed too. I thought: ‘OK, it’s Lucas and me’.”

Despite being booed at his own stadium, Tchouameni handled the situation with grace and maturity and he revealed the on-field decision he was forced to make at that point.

“I got the ball three or four times and got booed every time. At that point, there are two options: either you sulk, or you play your game and, as you do good things, the boos will go away.”

“I had a great game that day,” he recalled.

Finally, Tchouameni boldly called that moment a turning point in his career.

“Looking back, I’m sure that the Bernabeu booing me was an important moment in my career that allowed me to take a step forward.”

Tchouameni explained his preferred playing position. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

The 25-year-old also spoke about whether he felt more comfortable playing as a single or a double pivot.

“I like having the game in front of me. When I’m in the #6 role, it allows me to be well-positioned to receive passes.”

“The advantage of the double pivot is that you have the opportunity to push forward a bit more.

“ But if I had to choose, I’d tend to say playing as a #6 because it really depends on you,” he added.

Explaining the challenges and opportunities that come with playing as a double pivot, the player said,

“As a double pivot, you have to adapt to the midfield you’re partnered with. If we get in each other’s way, it becomes complicated. If we push forward together, there’s a counter-attack.”

The player revealed an important piece of advice that Carlo Ancelotti gave him about playing in the position.

“Coach Ancelotti once told me that a defensive midfielder should play within the width defined by the two lines of the penalty area, without going beyond them.”

“Then sometimes, you may have to compensate and move out of that area a little, but he says that the #6 must remain central,” h e added.

On how the partner and their skillset are crucial to the success of a double pivot, Tchouameni said,

“In a double pivot, we share each half of the pitch. Complementarity is important.”

“I’ve been lucky enough to play with some great players I got on well with in a double pivot: Fofana at Monaco, Manu Koné, Cama, Toni Kroos,” he added.

“Depending on who you’re playing with, you can get away with certain things. With others, less so. The balance of the team is the priority,” he concluded.

Finally, he revealed some lighter talks that take place behind the scenes in the dressing room about national teams.

“Do we speak about NTs in the Real Madrid dressing room? We were talking about it recently, and the guys were telling me: ‘Your team is crazy!’.”

“Guys who play in Spain, England, Germany… they all say: ‘Your team, on paper, has impressive talent’,” he added jovially.