Tchouameni talks Mourinho, Mbappe, Ballon d’Or, Diomande, referees ahead of AS Roma vs Real Madrid

Tchouameni talks Mourinho, Mbappe, Ballon d’Or, Diomande, referees ahead of AS Roma vs Real Madrid Real Madrid are already in Italy as they take on AS Roma in the second round of the league phase of the UEFA Champions League at Stadio Olimpico. The Merengues started their European campaign with a victory against another Italian club, beating Inter Milan 2-1 at home, and will be eager to add three more points on Wednesday night against the Giallorossi . Real Madrid head into the game on the back of a 1-0 victory over Villarreal, with the headlines once again being dominated by refereeing and the team’s unhappiness about it. Ahead of tomorrow’s clash, Aurelien Tchouameni accompanied Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho for the press conference, where he laid bare the team’s frustrations over the officiating in Spain. Tchouameni speaks Kicking things off, the French international made Real Madrid’s intention for tomorrow’s contest clear, saying: “It’s an important match. We started in the best possible way against Inter and we want to continue like this against Roma.” Discussing the opponents further, the midfielder added: “We know we’re playing against a great team. I watch their matches and it will be tough. It’s an away game, too, but we have the quality to win. We’ll give it our all.” Tchouameni is expected to start vs AS Roma. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) The chat then quickly moved to the refereeing in the Villarreal game, where Vinicius Jr. was shown a red card. Tchouameni had expressed his displeasure on the matter after the win and once again made clear that the team, as a whole, was frustrated. “I don’t want to talk about the referees. They try their best, but we’re very frustrated with the decisions. The most important thing is that we won, and now we have to look ahead,” he commented. On Real Madrid’s midfield One of the biggest disappointments for Real Madrid so far this season has been the lack of a creative and controlling presence in their midfield. Mourinho has tried several combinations in his double pivot, but nothing has clicked so far, leading to fans clamouring for the signing of a new creative playmaker. On being asked if he too felt that the team needed a creative midfielder, Tchouameni replied: “I have my opinion on that, and the rest is your job, on what we need. We give our all with what we have. We’re elite in some aspects, but the most important thing is to work as a team in midfield.” When he was further pressed to share his opinion, the midfielder added: “I’m not going to talk about that. The most important thing is tomorrow’s match. You can ask the coach or the president, but I’m a player. I have my opinion, but I won’t talk about it today.” Regarding the relationship between the midfielders and the attacking unit on the pitch, Tchouameni elaborated: “For us, the most important thing is what happens on the pitch. You can ask the forwards about their relationships. What I see is that we have a good team dynamic, and every player tries to contribute as much as possible. “And now, the signing of Diomande helps us even more. We’ll give everything to win titles.” On Real Madrid’s start to the season Real Madrid have looked far from their best in the early parts of the season, even dropping points in two crucial La Liga games against Real Betis and Atletico Madrid. Tchouameni accepts Real Madrid need to improve. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images) So, when asked if he saw any difference in the team from this season compared to some of their recent campaigns, Tchouameni said: “We know that when we play for Real Madrid there’s criticism. The most important thing is to keep a cool head and try to improve as a team. “We can do better, for sure, and we’re working to improve every day. The most important thing is what we win at the end of the season. And we’ll fight for it.” Highlighting the need for improvement across the pitch, he added: “There are many things we can improve. We certainly haven’t played at our best with the ball from the start, but we’re working on it in training and we’ll definitely improve.” One of the complaints against Los Blancos this season has been their lack of efforts off the ball – they are the team that cover the least distance in La Liga. Discussing that aspect, the midfielder explained: “We have to run smart. It’s all about statistics. Sometimes it shows what we should do, and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes we’ve definitely done things right and haven’t run that much.” On Mourinho Talking about manager Mourinho and what he has asked of him on the pitch, Tchouameni elaborated: “Yes, we’ve spoken and he told me what he wanted, how I can help. Little by little I’m getting back to my level and my physical condition.  “In Valencia, he asked me for balance, which is important with all the attacking players we have. He wanted me to look forward with the ball, to score goals, but above all, to maintain balance.” On whether the Portuguese tactician only cares about the result and not about the way the team plays, he replied: “That’s your opinion. I’m sure the manager wants to win, and that’s the most important thing.” Concluding, Tchouameni was asked for his pick for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, and he backed his teammate and fellow countryman Kylian Mbappe, saying: “Kylian deserves it. He’s had an incredible season, and if not Kylian, then other Frenchmen like Ousmane [Dembele] and [Michael] Olise have done very well.” Source: AS