Aurélien Tchouaméni faced the press alongside Real Madrid manager José Mourinho on 13 October ahead of the Champions League clash at the Olimpico on Wednesday 14 October at 21:00. The French midfielder acknowledged Roma's quality and said the tie would be demanding, while addressing frustration within the Real squad over refereeing decisions.
"It is an important match, we want to win this match against Roma and continue our path in Champions," Tchouaméni said. On Real's recent form and the criticism of their play, he added: "We can improve a lot, we have not done our best game lately, but we have talked, we have trained." He stressed the importance of maintaining composure: "We know there are criticisms when you play at Real. The important thing is to keep your nerves steady and calm, we work every day to improve, we know we can do better. But the most important thing, we know, is what we will win at the end of the season and we will fight for that."
Tchouaméni confirmed he watches Roma regularly. "I see Roma's matches very often, we know it will be difficult, especially away from home, but we have the quality to win," he said. On the squad's broader concerns, he stated: "I don't want to talk about referees, we are very frustrated by the decisions. But it was important to win against Villarreal, we want to move forward." Regarding his own development under Mourinho, Tchouaméni noted: "Yes, he told me what he wants me to do, how I can help the team. Little by little I am reaching my technical and physical levels." When asked about the Ballon d'Or, he named Kylian Mbappé as his pick: "According to me Mbappé, he played an incredible season. Or Olise, he would also deserve it."
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Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni has praised Roma's quality ahead of the Champions League fixture at the Olimpico on 14 October at 21:00, the second match of the league phase. Speaking at his pre-match press conference on 13 October alongside manager José Mourinho, Tchouaméni acknowledged the difficulty of playing away from home but expressed confidence in Madrid's ability to secure victory. "I like very much how Roma play and I know that tomorrow the match will be difficult, also because we will play away from home," he said. "I think we have the quality to win the match and that is what we will try to do."
Tchouaméni confirmed that Real Madrid regularly studies Roma's performances. "I see Roma's matches very often, we know it will be difficult, especially away from home, but we have the quality to win," he told reporters. He stressed the importance of Madrid maintaining focus despite recent criticism of their performances. "We can improve a lot, we have not done our best game lately, but we have talked, we have trained," he explained, adding that composure remains paramount. "The important thing is to keep your nerves steady and calm, we work every day to improve." On Madrid's broader campaign, Tchouaméni noted the significance of their recent victory: "It was important to win against Villarreal, we want to move forward" in the competition. When asked about the Ballon d'Or, he named Kylian Mbappé as his choice, suggesting forward Olise would also merit consideration.
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Testo Originale / Source Text
“La vigilia di Roma-Real Madrid entra nel vivo. Domani, mercoledì 14 ottobre, alle ore 21, i giallorossi di Gian Piero Gasperini ospiteranno i Blancos allo stadio Olimpico per la sfida di Champions League. A presentare l’incontro in conferenza stampa, insieme al tecnico José Mourinho, anche Aurélien…”
Read the full article in Italian at Roma News.
