Renowned physical therapist Fabrice Gautier praises Tchouameni’s mentality and physique: ”He is going to work his ass off because he wants to succeed”

Fabrice Gautier is a well-renowned physical therapist and has worked with some big starts in the past. Some of his past clients include NBA players Carmelo Anthony, Boris Diaw, and Tony Parker. More recently, he also worked with Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Sevilla’s Jules Kounde.

Marca spoke with Gautier in Los Angeles to get his thoughts on Tchouameni’s development:

On meeting Tchouameni in 2019

“I met him In 2019. He had ankle problems and we worked on that and I tried to educate him from very early on with the things that are good and that he can do continuously on a daily basis, small routines to help him stay healthy, which is the most important thing for an athlete.

“What struck me, also about Kounde, was more the mentality, although of course physically they are very strong. Due to the coronavirus, I had not seen them until three weeks ago since 2019 and the improvement has been very drastic; they have become very strong and are very difficult to move and face. I am impressed by the mentality of both at such a young age. Others are not like that. They are very focused, they work, they work, they work. For me that was the most important thing, because when you have that, the rest is easy: keep working day by day to try to be better.”

How would he describe Tchouameni to Madridistas?

“Very hard-working, he is going to work his ass off because he wants to succeed, win... He has that inside him.”

What can Tchouameni improve on?

“I don’t know enough about technique to answer, but physically he can be stronger, faster, have even more control... You’re 21 years old, signed by Real Madrid... there are many things to take care of, to adapt to. The good thing for him is he has the confidence, the power, the resilience. He has stamina, he can run forever, he is a marathon runner. All of this helps you to focus on all aspects in such a large team.”

On Tchouameni’s physical development

“I met him very young, at 17, and at that age you are not fully formed as a man. He had a great athletic base to become very good and explosive. I was surprised by his mentality and I told his agent so. it was something to see. He had goals and he pursued them. It’s an American mentality: “The sky is the limit.” I have repeated to him since then to keep going, not to relax, not to lie to yourself.”