Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images
In a recent viral video that circulated on social media, Real Madrid stars Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga were seen bantering about who the better player was between two well-known footballers.
While the identity of the two players in comparison was beeped out, it is widely speculated that the players in question were Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
As part of the video, Bellingham is seen insisting that Haaland is a better player than Tchouameni’s international teammate, Mbappe.
Needless to say, it went viral for the wrong reasons as the Frenchman is set to be their teammate next season.
Tchouameni clears the air
Speaking to RMC Sport in a recent interview, Real Madrid’s defensive midfielder Tchouameni cleared the air on the video amongst other topics, stating that the two players in question were not the ones the world assumed to be.
“We weren’t talking about Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. We were talking about Eric Dier and Dayot Upamecano. Jude was talking about Dier and I was talking about Dayot. It will sell less but it’s the truth.”
“I prefer Mbappe. Haaland is a great player, but I prefer Mbappe,” he added, when asked who among the two he liked better.
The Real Madrid star also spoke at length about the upcoming Olympic games, especially amidst news that the club will not release any players for the event.
“It’s obviously something extraordinary. But Real Madrid is our employer, so if they veto it, there’s not much to say.”
Looking ahead to Real Madrid’s upcoming clash against Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, the French superstar said,
“We are Real Madrid, we can’t be afraid. They knocked us out last year and we’ll be out for revenge, we’ll want to show who Real Madrid is. To be the best, you have to beat the best. We’ll take game after game to lift the trophy in June.”
Tchouameni then went on to give his two cents on playing at centre-back and how he felt in the new role at Real Madrid this season.
“My ultimate goal is to win. It doesn’t matter which position I’m in.”
“I simply enjoy playing football. My preferred position is midfield. But playing in defence gives me a different perspective. I enjoyed playing when the coach told me to. But I’d like to push a bit more on the pitch,” he added.
Towards the end of his interaction, Tchouameni commented on France’s upcoming game against Germany where he will face off against some of his teammates from Madrid.
“We’ll be playing against Kroos and Rüdiger. We’ve been joking around a lot in training. Germany had a difficult time, but they’ll be out for revenge. We have to be wary of them in front of their fans, they’ll be among the contenders.”
Finally, the pivot player was asked if Mbappe enjoyed talking about the Olympic games or Real Madrid more, to which he responded,
“I can’t say whether he’s talking more about Real Madrid or the Olympics, because I haven’t talked to him about that yet.”
