Speaking about his need to be another person when he plays a match, on his podcast The Bridge, Aurélien Tchouaméni wondered about the perception of footballers in France.
Back on the microphone for the fifth episode of his podcast The Bridgeposted online on December 23, Aurélien Tchouaméni wondered about the personality of footballers. With notably the comedian Omar Sy and the comedian Fary around him, the French defender and midfielder from Real Madrid (24 years old) shared his feelings about feeling like an actor when he plays a match.
“At home I am Aurélien Tchouaméni, I am myself. But when I enter the field, it’s a bit like I’m entering the stage. It’s another character,” he explained when he said he called Omar Sy to ask him for advice on how to “switch” between his private life and his professional life. “What tips do you have to give me to ensure that I become impervious to everything that happens around me?” he asked her in particular.
“Because in truth, when we look at football and in many areas, the most difficult thing is not what we do. (…) The most difficult thing is everything we do. there is around, it is to concentrate on the main thing (the essential point, editor’s note). When you talk to journalists, you get tongue-tied at times, because there are things you can't say. It’s a fact, it’s like that,” explained the 2022 world vice-champion.
“It’s in France that it’s a lot like that”
Faced with him, Fary felt that this obligation to be someone else on the pitch was a consequence of what would be required of footballers: “You can't have too much personality, you have to fit into a mold, you can’t exist too strong.”
“It’s in France that it’s a lot like that,” agreed Aurélien Tchouaméni before arriving at another conclusion. “I have the impression that we are loved and hated at the same time,” he said, after hearing Omar Sy point out a “particular thing about footballers in France”.
Despite everything, Aurélien Tchouaméni wanted to put things into perspective, particularly in the face of Fary who was worried about his free time. “When you finish the match, you're calm. On the other hand, you can't move much.”
