Aurelien Tchouameni is one of the few players who can claim to be a regular starter in Xabi Alonso’s setup which the manager has otherwise made clear will not have much discretion between starters and substitutes.
Being the only pivot in the squad is thus a luxury for the Frenchman as it all but guarantees his place in the side.
Concurrently, however, it also adds monumental pressure on his shoulders for he has little margin for error.
So far, the Frenchman has adapted wonderfully to life under Xabi Alonso and has looked good not only in midfield but also as a third central defender in the coach’s tactics.
He continues to be important for his country and recently had a new stadium open in his hometown Artigues-près-Bordeaux named after him.
Speaking to the media on the eve of the opening of a stadium named after him in his hometown of Artigues-pres-Bordeaux, the Real Madrid star spoke on a plethora of topics, including the managerial situation at his club.
He began by speaking on how special the stadium in question was for him and equated it to another special stadium in his career.
"It’s the stadium of my beginnings, it’s my Santiago Bernabeu."
Amongst other topics, Tchouameni was also asked about how he looked forward to the upcoming FIFA World Cup, especially with him missing the penalty in the final against Argentina and thus carrying bitter memories.
"I don’t take it as a revenge and no one in France. Every World Cup has its history, the whole group dreamed of lifting the trophy but it couldn’t be. You have to look forward."
Finally, the midfielder addressed the elephant in the room, Real Madrid’s situation after the arrival of Xabi Alonso and how he has adapted to the new coach and his ideas.
"I’m happy with him. It’s true that I’m doing well with the coach and that he has new ideas for me and the team."
"But I think that since the beginning of 2025, things have gone much better and with Carlo, I was already fine," he began, not forgetting the former manager.
"The idea now is to focus on each game and help my colleagues and continue to grow."
Tchouameni, however, refused to make any direct comparisons between Ancelotti and Alonso when asked to do so, saying,
"There are differences between Carlo and Xabi, it’s normal, each one has his own idea and style, but they are two great coaches."