REAL MADRID
Eduardo Camavinga opens up on Real Madrid left-back role
The Frenchman spoke about playing on the left side of the defence at club level, admitting that he doesn’t like it.
Last season, Eduardo Camavinga experienced a positional change both with the French National Team and Real Madrid. Due to unforeseen circumstances, he went from playing in the middle of the pitch - the role where he made his name in France - to left back... and he shone.
Throughout the current campaign, Real Madrid boss, Carlo Ancelotti, due to various injuries and a lack of confidence in other options, has once again dropped Camavinga (who is on the verge of signing a new deal) into this defensive slot, despite the player openly admitting to not liking it, as he did recently in France’s pre-game press conference.
‘It’s no secret that I don’t like the position’
“I think everyone knows”, said the LaLiga midfielder to a sea of nodding heads, “it’s no secret that I don’t like the position. I spoke to Ancelotti, but the most important thing is the team. Since I’m a team player, I’ll play at left-back if they ask me to, even if I don’t like it. But I want to give everything for the club, you can’t always do what you want, you have to know how to balance things”, he said.
Deschamps, the French National Team manager, has used Camavinga in a midfield role in recent squads, but he has never hidden the fact that Camavinga’s talent means he will always be an option at left-back. The Real Madrid player also opened up on his playing time situation with France, saying that “at this level, I see that I’m playing well, but there are still players who are starting games”.
“I think I’m showing the coach that I deserve to play and I do so a little more every time I go out onto the pitch. The coach makes the decisions”, he continued, “and you have to respect them, just as I have to also work hard to show him I deserve to play a little more, honestly.”
Camavinga was left on the bench in France’s most recent game
Camavinga did not play a minute on Friday 13th October, against the Netherlands, who were beaten 1-2 by Les Bleus. Instead of the 20-year-old, Deschamps went with a midfield three of Rabiot, Griezmann and Real Madrid teammate, Aurélien Tchouaméni. In the second half, minutes in midfield were given to Monaco player, Youssouf Fofana.
On Tuesday 17 October, it seems likely that Camavinga will finally see minutes in the friendly game against Scotland, which will be another opportunity for the ex-Rennes player to show his worth in the middle of the pitch, and stake a claim for a starting spot in the World Cup 2022 finalists’ starting XI.
