World Cup
Camavinga’s summer at Real Madrid: promise or peril under Mourinho
On a sun‑drenched training pitch at the Ciudad Real Madrid complex, a 23‑year‑old French midfielder weaves through cones, his breath steady as the cameras capture Eduardo Camavinga’s first full‑summer session with the Merengue squad. The scene sets the tone for a campaign that could define his career.
La saison dernière a été compliquée pour Eduardo Camavinga, and the French star missed the Coupe du Monde 2026 after Didier Deschamps chose not to select him. The omission underscored a year that left the Français feeling unsettled.
Et la préparation estivale ne se passe beaucoup mieux pour lui au Real Madrid, désormais entraîné par José Mourinho. After a full 90 minutes against Leganes, Camavinga showed renewed stamina under the Portuguese coach’s demanding regime.
Il a également disputé l’intégralité du match amical face à la Fiorentina (2-2) samedi, providing the assist for the second Merengue goal in the 24th minute. Despite the contribution, Cama did not convince the observers.
AS newspaper was far from tender, with journalist Tomas Roncero writing, "La plus inquiétante est incarnée par Eduardo Camavinga, toujours aussi irrégulier, distrait et fragile que lors de sa saison dernière décevante." The piece painted the French midfielder as a fiasco rather than a rising star.
Walid Acherchour voiced his concern on RMC, noting that after Luka Modric and Toni Kroos departed, even Thiago Pitarch has moved ahead of Camavinga this year. He warned, "La descente est vertigineuse" and questioned where the player will go next.
Pour les clubs de Premier League, Acherchour suggested a good offer should be seized, while also speculating about Dortmund or an Italian side as possible destinations. He stressed that the trajectory must be managed carefully.
En fin de compte, the arrival of Rodri at his position does not help Camavinga’s case. No rumors of a relaunch have emerged, and the French midfielder stands at a decisive crossroads in his career.