An unusual outburst from Chouameni over the refereeing of the Bayern match

Speaking in the mixed zone after the match, Tchouameni did not look for flimsy excuses, but faced the truth with striking candour, emphasising that dominance on the pitch means nothing unless it is converted into goals.

The French star told RMC: “The truth is, this has been a difficult night for all of us. We didn’t expect this result at our home ground in front of our fans, but that’s football at this level; it’s the small details that decide the big matches.”

Chouameni pinpointed Real Madrid’s biggest problem against Bayern, which allowed the Bavarian side to win: a lack of composure in front of goal.

He stated clearly: “We had chances to score and take the lead, but we need to be more clinical in front of goal. In matches like this, if you don’t take the chances that come your way, a team of Bayern Munich’s calibre will punish you, and that’s what happened today.”

Despite the bleak outlook following the first-leg defeat, Chouameni sought to instil a sense of optimism in the fans, reminding them of the club’s never-say-die spirit, stating: “We’re certainly disappointed, but there’s no time for tears. We need to analyse the mistakes we made quickly. There is still a second leg to come, and we are Real Madrid; we will go to Munich with just one goal in mind: to fight for a comeback and qualify. It’s not over yet.”

Chouameni will miss the second leg against Bayern Munich due to suspension, and the French player does not understand why.

Although he is not usually one to criticise referees, he broke with tradition today and said, according to the newspaper Marca, that the yellow card shown to him by referee Michael Oliver was unfair.

He explained: “As far as I’m concerned, it wasn’t a yellow card. I didn’t do anything, I was just running… And with all the mistakes that happened earlier, it’s unfair.”

When asked which player would take his place in the second leg, he replied indignantly: “Do you really think I’m going to answer that question? We have a fantastic team, and whichever player plays will put in a great performance. We’re going to Munich to win.”

The Frenchman praised the team’s reaction despite the defeat, concluding: “I don’t know if the result was unfair, but when it was 0-2, and given the difficult circumstances, we raised our game and created more chances. We’ll work hard and prepare well for the next match.”

Click here to read article