Aurélien Tchouaméni: Real Madrid focus on Roma, won’t discuss referees

Aurélien Tchouaméni, of Real Madrid, addressed the media at the Olympic Stadium in Rome ahead of Wednesday’s match against AS Roma (21:00) in the Champions League league phase, second round.

The French midfielder said they want to keep the momentum after starting strong versus Inter. He also underlined how tough it will be against a top side: “It’s away as well, but we have the quality to win.” He urged the team to stay level-headed after criticism: “The most important thing is to have a cool head and improve as a team.”

On refereeing, Tchouaméni refused to go into detail: “I don’t want to talk about referees. We’re very frustrated with the decisions.” Still, he insisted the focus should be on performance and the result: “The most important thing is that we win and we have to look ahead.”

He added that the coach asked him for “balance” with the attacking options around him, and that he is gradually regaining his form and fitness: “Step by step I’m recovering my level and my physical level.”