At the pre-match conference for Real Madrid's Champions League clash with Lille, French midfielder Chouamene accompanied manager Carlo Ancelotti and answered questions from the media on a number of topics, including the impact of Kroos' retirement and Griezmann's exit from the French team.
On the threat of Lille, Chouamene said, "Lille have a lot of good players, including their goalkeeper. We have to give our all and play a good game and we will work hard for that."
Speaking about taking on more responsibility himself with the departure of Kroos, Chouameni said, "Toni (Kroos) had an important role, especially with his ball out. But we have more players now, and we have these midfielders who have improved out of the ball. In order to have a better performance, we have to do that and we will do it."
On Ancelotti's role in his becoming the team's starter, Chouamene expressed his gratitude, "He is someone who is very important to me and we often discuss what I should do on the field. It's an honor to work with someone like him, he helped me a lot with ball handling and running without the ball."
Asked about Mbappe's situation and Griezmann's decision to withdraw from the national team, Chouamene said, "Kylian (Mbappe) came to Lille with us and he is in good condition. We hope he will recover and play, but we will have to wait a little longer. We were surprised by Griezmann's withdrawal and are sorry to see him leave us. It affects us because he is important. But if he has made a decision, it means it is the best for him and I personally wish him all the best."
Chouamene also spoke about his recovery, "I'm getting better and better. Last season I often felt discomfort in my left foot, but we did excellent work with the doctors. Now I'm back and pain-free. I want to do my best to help my team."
Speaking about how to be at your best, Chouamene said, "In the team, we can't do everything. We have to understand our responsibilities and do what is best for the team. Maybe some arrangements are not the best for me personally, but I have to do them. In a team like Real Madrid, you get to play because you have the strength."
On the question of whether Vinicius deserved the Ballon d'Or, Chouamene gave the affirmative: "Of course! Let's wait and see, but the likelihood of him winning is high, he deserves it."
Speaking about the match against Lille, Chouamene said, "It's an honor to play against Lille. This game is important for France, for Lille, and for Real Madrid. We will give our best."
In addition, Chouamene also talked about how he felt when fans threw things onto the field in the derby, which led to the suspension of the game, the reason for changing his jersey number this season, and whether or not he would be affected by outside criticism. He said that such behavior is not conducive to the image of soccer and should be eliminated; he chose the No. 14 jersey because it was his first number in the French national team; he is calm and will not pay too much attention to the media's comments; at the same time, he also believes that too many matches need to be more reasonable scheduling.
In conclusion, Chouameni said of Lille, "Lille has an outstanding coach, they reached the Champions League and have great players, including a great scorer and goalkeeper. It's a solid defensive team and we know they will cause us a lot of trouble."
