"They will forget what you did at Barcelona": Camavinga opens up on the painful Bayern night
The French star speaks in all directions
Eduardo Camavinga has lifted the lid on a difficult few months, revealing the changes he made to his life and his working habits over the summer. The Real Madrid midfielder credited Jose Mourinho with handing him the confidence he needed to rediscover his level and his place in the team.
The Frenchman spoke at the press conference ahead of Real Madrid's clash with AEK Athens, set for tomorrow in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase. He also touched on his relationship with the Portuguese coach and his part in the recent Clasico win, before offering his condolences following the death of Tenerife striker Jesus de Miguel today.
Camavinga: I have become a new man, and Mourinho gave me confidence
Camavinga admitted the past spell had been far from easy, especially with the summer questions over his future at Real Madrid. He used that period, he said, to take stock of himself and work on various aspects of his life.
"It was a difficult and tough period for me, but I believe that even after negative experiences, positive lessons can always be drawn," he said.
He added: "I worked very hard during the summer, and I have become a new person, as I have become more disciplined than I was before. I strive to live up to the trust the club has placed in me. I spent a long time thinking about the areas I needed to improve, and I spoke with the coach, who gave me a great deal of confidence."
The midfielder then revealed some of the changes he made. "I went back to studying, and it was a very different experience. I worked on things I do not usually do, such as discipline and arriving two or three hours ahead of time to train in the gym. My mentality also developed and I became more mature."
Mourinho earned glowing words. "He is a very likeable person, and a wonderful coach with a rich history. We learn a lot from him every day, especially regarding the mentality we must have on the pitch," Camavinga said.
The painful Bayern night and a decisive contribution in the Clasico
The Frenchman did not shy away from the memories of that painful Champions League quarter-final exit against Bayern Munich last season. He picked up a second yellow card in the 86th minute of the second leg, which ended in a 3-4 defeat that sent Real Madrid out 6-4 on aggregate.
His dismissal came with the tie heading for a thrilling finish. Bayern pounced on the extra man, and late goals from Luis Diaz and Michael Olise sealed their place in the semi-final.
Asked about his part in the winning goal in the recent Clasico against Barcelona, and whether Kylian Mbappe had made up to him for what happened in Munich, Camavinga replied: "I have had the chance to think about that matter since the summer, it was a painful day. The aim was not revenge. I work daily to be able to deliver such a performance on the pitch, people will forget what I did in Barcelona, and I have to keep delivering the same performance in the coming matches."
That winner carried Camavinga's fingerprints. Collecting a pass from Arda Guler on 25 October, he slipped the ball to Mbappe, who struck in the 88th minute to seal a 2-1 victory at the Camp Nou.
A message before the AEK clash
Camavinga underlined the importance of the AEK Athens tie. "We have to be serious. We are close to qualifying for the play-off, but we are still far from the round of 16. Real Madrid is the only team to have won a single match here out of eight matches, and that must have a significance."
Real Madrid arrive in fine fettle under Mourinho. Six wins on the bounce across all competitions, the latest a clean 3-0 defeat of Racing Santander, have them hunting more European joy and a stronger footing in the league phase.
