In an interview with France 24, Aurélien Tchouaméni, midfielder for Real Madrid, stated that the Ballon d'Or award "should go to a French player." He acknowledged playing with an incomplete physical condition during the World Cup and emphasized that Real Madrid "must win the championship" this season after failing to win in the previous two consecutive seasons. This is the second part of the interview.

Related article: [A. Tchouaméni: My mother asked me not to neglect my studies; if football doesn't work out, I want to be a trader]

At the end of August, José Mourinho, the new coach of Real Madrid, mentioned that you had to endure significant pain during the World Cup and still risked playing for France. Can you tell us more about what you went through at that time?

As he said, around the third or fourth match, or even earlier, I started feeling pain. After all, it's the World Cup and everyone tries their best to show their best form on the pitch. So I took certain risks that I might not normally take, but I have no regrets. As a footballer, everyone understands there are moments and situations where you need to give everything. Even though I may have paid a price later, it became part of my experience and I don't regret it at all.

In the final against Spain, you clearly played with an injury; it wasn't Tchouaméni at his best.

It certainly wasn't the best version of me, but this wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last. This often happens in major tournaments. As I said, we communicate and consult with the medical staff and coaching team. There are measures to take to play, and that's what I did.

France has a new coach, Zinédine Zidane, and this time he didn't call you up, saying you needed rest. At 26 years old, do you still have ambitions for the French national team? Or do you feel your peak has already passed?

No, at 26 years old, I believe it's a golden period when players begin to understand the game more deeply. Now there's a new coach in place and he's doing excellent work. Every ambitious player wants to play for France. Like everything in life, if you perform well on the pitch, opportunities will come naturally.

Real Madrid must win the championship this season. Everyone knows this is perhaps the club with the highest demands in the world, especially when facing difficult situations. This year we must bring the trophy home.

Of course, Real Madrid must win this season. It's the same as last season and will be the same next season. It's the number one club in the world, and that's not mere boasting. This immense pressure is what keeps us motivated and makes us realize we must constantly perform at the highest level. Unfortunately, we didn't meet expectations in the past two seasons, but it's not over until it's over.

You're committed to Real Madrid. Do you see your long-term future at Madrid?

Of course. I hope to play for the greatest club in the world for as long as possible. Time will tell what the future holds, but regardless, I will continue to give everything, perform at the highest level, and enjoy this dream as much as I can.

The Ballon d'Or results are about to be announced. If you had a vote, who would you vote for?

Oh, that's a great question! Many players deserve the Ballon d'Or. First of all, Kylian Mbappé had an outstanding season and I really think he deserves it. Besides him, there's Ousmane Dembélé who performed brilliantly for Paris Saint-Germain and won the Champions League again. And Mikel Oyarzabal… so…

They're all French!

Of course, this award should go to a Frenchman!

Finally, let's go back to what we discussed at the beginning. You seem to be supporting an orphanage in Cameroon. From a football perspective, what do you hope to do at the local level when you retire or after your career ends? We know there's a shortage of funding, infrastructure, coaches, and youth trainers. Would this be a full circle for you?

Of course. I believe in the near future we will certainly carry out some projects. This is one of my ideas. Currently the projects are still in the preparation phase and I can't share too many details yet, but we will definitely implement them.

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