The wide smile that we know him is back.
After two weeks in the France team with a gloomy balance sheet, Aurélien Tchouaméni found this Tuesday a more encouraging news.
There was no game on the schedule, no scratch ball or game to speed up, just an induction day to honour.
A day that marks his entry into the European elite.
Three days after formalizing his signing for the next six years at Real Madrid, the 22-year-old French international held his grand presentation mass on Tuesday.
The day before, the merengue family had said goodbye to the legend Marcelo, who stayed sixteen years at the club.
This time it welcomes a rising football star.
In a black and white suit, the former Monegasque spoke in a still somewhat stammering Spanish before posing with his number 18 flocked jersey, so far occupied by Gareth Bale.
💬 ¡Las primeras palabras de @atchouameni como madridista!
#WelcomeTchouameni pic.twitter.com/YqerOecY6a
— Real Madrid CF (@realmadrid) June 14, 2022
" I am very happy.
It's a dream to sign here, at the biggest club in the world,” he said alongside president Florentino Perez.
I was lucky to have offers from several clubs, but as soon as I knew that Real Madrid wanted me, I never doubted.
I want to make football history, and the best club to do that is Real Madrid.
After every phase that Real Madrid went through in the Champions League this season, I sent messages to my agent saying:
Please do EVERYTHING to get me there!
»
"When everything started to move forward, Karim Benzema wrote to me"
Very quickly, he confirmed that he had been approached by PSG and in particular by his compatriot Kylian Mbappé.
“He spoke to me, and asked me if I could come to Paris, but I told him that I wanted to join Real Madrid, and he understood my decision and he is happy for me.
»
This choice, he explains having also discussed it upstream with Eduardo Camavinga and Karim Benzema.
“As soon as the rumors started, Camavinga immediately contacted me and told me that I had to come, that I would improve a lot, and that it is the biggest club in the world.
Karim is the best striker in the world.
When everything started to move forward, he wrote to me and told me everything about the club.
“A little earlier on Tuesday, the man who is now worth 80 million euros (+ 20 bonus) had passed his medical examination successfully.
👋 ¡Presentando nuestro nuevo nº1️⃣8️⃣!
👉 @atchouameni #WelcomeTchouameni pic.twitter.com/cttmVfS9lW
— Real Madrid CF (@realmadrid) June 14, 2022
The best midfielder in L1 2021/2022 will now be able to go on vacation.
Take a breather before starting a new, even more enticing season.
On the side of the White House therefore but with always an eye on the blue house, with which he hopes to shine in six months in Qatar.
The Tchouaméni rocket is launched.