The excellent performance of Eduardo Camavinga with Real Madrid, despite not having the minutes of a starter and, above all, at just 19 years old, has surprised locals and strangers. At Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, the Frenchman has become a key piece, in addition to having won the affection of the white fans. His contribution to the club that has won the Spanish league and has gone around the world for his spectacular comebacks in the Champions League at the Bernabéu has been so important that the magazine ‘France Football’ has featured him on its cover.
The midfielder confesses in an interview with the famous publication of his country, in which he reviews his arrival in Madrid, his experiences with players of the stature of Benzema, Modric or Kroos, and reveals some anecdotes about his new team.
Accustomed to Rennes, one of the main surprises that Camavinga took when landing in the local dressing room of the Santiago Bernabéu was the fact that the club only celebrates the great successes, avoiding the effusiveness in the successes of competitions such as the Spanish Super Cup . “There I realize that it will be very different. At Rennes, when we won a game, we celebrated in any way, here only after great victories can emotions overflow.
“Honestly, everyone made me feel very comfortable, without exception. Also, I think I’m pretty friendly and open, right? When I have a question, I ask it. Be it Toni, Luka or others. And, of course, when you go to people, they come to you more easily », he explains about how the Madrid squad welcomed him upon his arrival.
As for the illustrious teammates he found in Madrid, Camavinga has very good words for his teammates in midfield, Modric, Kroos and Casemiro.
“It’s an opportunity to learn the trade alongside these players. Luka has an instinct, a vision that ugh… He’s not a Ballon d’Or for nothing. He does some things with the outside, ugh… If I try it, he breaks my ankle. He attacks as much as he defends, so he inspired me in his way of moving. Toni makes some crazy passes. He watches the games, but in training he is even worse. So you look and want to do the same. And Case, when he plays 6, he tells me to stay calm. And, above all, that he does not receive a card too soon so as not to have to change the game later ».
The Frenchman also gets along very well with another newcomer to the club, the Austrian David Alaba: «He is a good guy, they already say so. Now seriously, he is someone who talks to you a lot and helps you a lot. We have a very good relationship. I can tell you that if I do something wrong, he will tell me firmly ».
Surrounded by great stars on the international scene, the Frenchman has fond memories of his first training session as a Real Madrid player. «In my first group session I said to myself: ‘Eduardo, try not to be too much in the middle in the rondo’. I can tell you right away that I was unsuccessful. I was surprised at the speed at which everything was going.”
Asked about the fact of having arrived so young at a club the size of Real Madrid, he gives an example of a powerful mentality: «They tell me every day, but I am someone who experiences things with a bit of detachment. Not so much as to say I don’t care, but that’s pretty much the idea. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself… I used to have too much pressure! Especially when I was 12 or 13 years old, but from the moment you understand what you can and what you should do on the pitch, everything changes. I don’t really know how to define it. But after that, whether you play for Madrid or elsewhere, the ball is always there. It doesn’t matter the club, the stadium, the rival… If they transform eight months in Madrid? Yes, when I see myself in the videos I realize the decision I made.
Camavinga, despite not starting for Ancelotti, has gained weight in the squad and has established himself as one of the main alternatives for the Italian coach’s line-ups.
«I never defended before, ask Mathieu Le Scornet! But then, already at Rennes, I started defending like crazy. He was just hitting! I became another player. That’s where everything changed. The pressure was adrenaline. I never had that knot in my stomach again or fear of doing something wrong.
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