"Mentality monster", "Pressure makes diamonds" - Fans praise Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni’s views on mental toughness
Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni has hit all the right notes on and off the field since he arrived at the club. The Frenchman has been in excellent form this season and is considered one of the best in the world in his position.
Tchouameni was signed from AS Monaco as a replacement for Casemiro, and the 24-year-old has done an excellent job in this regard. He most recently featured for Los Blancos in their dominant 4-0 win over surprise title contenders Girona in La Liga on Saturday, February 10.
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti trusts Tchouameni to do a great job in multiple positions in midfield, as well as in defense. With injuries to Antonio Rudiger and Nacho, the Italian manager has deployed Tchouameni at center-back with great success. The Frenchman played alongside Dani Carvajal, a right-back by trade, in the heart of Los Blancos' defense against Girona.
Before the game, Aurelien Tchouameni appeared on his new show "The Bridge", where he spoke about the importance of mental toughness and told stories of how he became mentally strong. He revealed how criticisms leveled at him as a teenager motivated him to do better in his career.
“In school you’re not taught how to deal with hate, then it becomes about your mental toughness….,” he said.
“I was 18 when I started to be a pro & I struggled in first months. You’re 18, you finish your game, then you see on Twitter, IG, 2000 comments, saying ‘you’re bad, you’re never going to make it’, it’s difficult, you’re young, you start doubting yourself. But then year after year you understand, you realize it’s going to be this way no matter what....,” he added.
Several fans were impressed with Aurelien Tchouameni's comments and shared their opinions on X (formerly Twitter):
"Mentality monster," one fan wrote.
"Pressure makes diamonds," another chimed in.
Here are some more reactions from football fans on X:
Aurelien Tchouameni helps Real Madrid trounce Girona
Having been left out of the squad for their derby draw against Atletico Madrid last week, Aurelien Tchouameni started against Girona. He had the task of keeping the Catalan side's forwards quiet and was deployed at center-back alongside Dani Carvajal.
Vinicius Jr. opened the scoring for Real Madrid before Jude Bellingham doubled their advantage before the half-time break. The English midfielder added a third in the second half to effectively put the game to bed before Rodrygo added a fourth.
Los Blancos are now five points clear of second-placed Girona and 11 clear of Barcelona with nearly two-thirds of the season completed. Despite serious injury problems this season, Ancelotti's men have continued to thrive.