Camavinga breaks his silence on Champions League red card: “A bad memory… but my teammates told me it wasn’t my fault”
In an interview with Canal+, Camavinga confessed that the red card he received against Bayern affected him but he felt supported by his teammates.
In an interview with former French international Olivier Dacourt on Canal+ Foot, Eduardo Camavinga spoke publicly for the first time about the red card he received in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals against Bayern Munich.
The French midfielder admitted the sending‑off left him with “a bad memory,” and revealed that the locker room — including Kylian Mbappé — immediately reassured him, telling him it was a refereeing mistake.
“The red card? A bad memory. I think it was an accident I didn’t expect at all. It affected me. But it’s part of a player’s life,” Camavinga said. After an inconsistent season with Real Madrid, the incident has fueled speculation that he may miss out on France’s World Cup squad.
“I shut everything out” — Camavinga on the backlash
Asked how the criticism affected him after the match in Munich, he didn’t hold back:
“I’m not lying when I say that after what happened, I shut everything out. After everything that was being said, I didn’t think it was necessary to keep looking. I think life is better without social media. Football is ungrateful. You can play ten great matches, but people only remember the one bad game where you make a mistake.”
Teammates and the club rally around
Camavinga said the support from the locker room was immediate: “They came straight to support me in the locker room. They told me it wasn’t my fault and that it was a refereeing error. I accepted it as a mistake. Even the next day, the club sent me messages saying it wasn’t my fault.”
Mbappé’s reaction: “He gave me a big hug”
Dacourt then asked whether he had spoken with Kylian Mbappé about the criticism both players have faced recently. Camavinga said they didn’t discuss it directly, but Mbappé’s empathy was obvious.
“We didn’t necessarily talk about that. But it affected Mbappé. He saw me in the morning and gave me a big hug. We always hug, but that Monday morning he saw me and said we were surviving. I felt Mbappé had empathy — and experience with criticism,” he added with a laugh.
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.