Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni views pressure as a privilege

Aurelien Tchouameni has opened up on how he turned a difficult first year at Real Madrid into a platform to become one of the team’s most reliable midfielders this season.

“I was made a scapegoat. In the first 10-20 minutes, the stadium was booing every time I touched the ball,” he recalled of last season’s struggles, admitting that such hostility can “either destroy you” or push you to focus only on what you can control. For Tchouameni, that meant doubling down on his performance and shutting out the noise around him.

He explained that “the level of pressure at Real Madrid is something else entirely” and that every action is judged, good or bad. “Everyone was talking about me, about the way I played,” he said, adding that being booed made him mentally stronger. Now, he says he simply ignores outside opinions and concentrates on his game.

A year on, the French international feels that experience has hardened him and helped him thrive on the club’s massive stage. As he put it, “Playing for Real Madrid is the biggest stage in sports: the pressure is a privilege.”