Tchouaméni: Mbappé deserves the Ballon d'Or, and we will fight for titles

Aurélien Tchouaméni, a player for Real Madrid, spoke to the media from the Stadio Olimpico ahead of the match against AS Roma in the second round of the UEFA Champions League.

Aurélien Tchouaméni spoke about the match against Roma: "It's an important game. We started in the best possible way with the match against Inter Milan, and now we want to win against Roma and continue to collect points in the UEFA Champions League. We will be playing against a great team. I watch Roma's matches, and we know that the game will be difficult, especially away from home, but we have the quality needed to win this match, and we will definitely try to achieve that."

Speaking about the officiating in the win over Villarreal, he said: "I don't want to talk about the referees. They are trying to do their best, but we currently feel a lot of frustration due to the decisions. The important thing is that we won that match and we are looking forward."

Regarding the need for a more creative midfielder, he clarified: "I have my opinion, and your job is to talk about what we need or do not need. With the players on the team list, we give everything we have, and we are elite players with different characteristics. The most important thing is to work as a team in midfield and help win matches. Most importantly, we should talk about tomorrow's match. Direct this question to the coach or the president."

Speaking about the relationship among Real Madrid's forwards, Tchouaméni said: "For us, the most important thing shows on the pitch. You can ask the forwards about their relationship, but what I've seen on the pitch and in daily life is that there is a good relationship within the group. Every player tries to help the team to the best of their ability, and the signing of Yan Diomande will help us a bit more. We will all give everything we have to win titles this year."

Regarding the criticism directed at Real Madrid's performance, he said: "When you play for Real Madrid, there are criticisms, but the most important thing in the end is to maintain a clear mind and try to improve as a group, because we can certainly do things better. We work every day in training to develop and win matches. The most important thing is what we will achieve at the end of the season, and we will fight for the titles."

Yan Diomande stated: "There are many things we can improve with the ball and without it. We have not delivered our best performance since the start of the season. We talk about it within the team and work on it in training, and I am sure we will improve."

Regarding the distances covered by Real Madrid players compared to their opponents, he explained: "We also need to run smartly. These are statistics, and sometimes they clarify what we need to improve, and sometimes they do not. Certainly, there are matches where we played very well without running much. It depends on the match."

Aurélien Tchouaméni spoke about working with José Mourinho, saying: "We talked about what he wants from my performance and how I can help the team. I am gradually regaining my physical level, and I will continue to help the team win matches. He asks me to achieve balance, which is important with the attacking players we have on the pitch. With the ball, I try to score goals and provide assists, but the most important thing is the team's balance."

When asked if Mourinho is a coach who prioritizes results over good performance, he replied: "That's your opinion. Certainly, the coach wants to win, and that is the most important thing."

Aurélien Tchouaméni concluded his remarks by discussing the Ballon d'Or, saying: "Of course, Kylian deserves it. He has had an amazing season. And if Kylian doesn't win, the other Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé or Michael Olise also deserve it."