Eduardo Camavinga said he is maturing as a player under Real Madrid coach José Mourinho.
After a difficult 2025-26 season, which led to speculation the France midfielder could leave the team, Camavinga, 23, is taking positive steps.
“To be honest, it was a tough, difficult time for me,” Camavinga said in Tuesday’s news conference ahead of his team’s Champions League game at AEK.
“But I believe that behind every negative experience there are positive lessons to be learnt.
“I’ve worked really hard this summer and I’m a changed man. I’m more disciplined than before.
“I’m working hard to repay the trust the club has placed in me. I’ve given a lot of thought to the areas where I need to improve. I spoke to the manager and he gave me a real boost of confidence.”
A struggle to find consistency in a season in which Real Madrid underperformed saw Camavinga left out of France’s 2026 World Cup squad.
Camavinga took a short course in the business of entertainment, media and sports at Harvard Business School during the summer break.
“I went back to school,” he said. “It was a very different experience. I worked on things I don’t usually do: discipline — I arrive two or three hours early to train in the gym … My mindset has changed too; I’m a bit more mature.”
Camavinga reflected on the criticism he received following Madrid’s Champions League quarterfinal exit against Bayern Munich last season.
He picked up a second yellow card in the 86th minute of the second leg, which ended in a 3-4 defeat that eliminated Madrid 6-4 on aggregate.
Camavinga earned particular praise for his performance in the recent Clásico win at Barcelona.
“I’d already had time to think about that over the summer,” he said of the criticism he received last season.
“It hurt. It wasn’t about revenge. I work every day to achieve that sort of thing on the pitch. What I did in Barcelona will be forgotten, and I’ll have to keep doing it in other matches.”
Camavinga praised Mourinho’s influence on the progress he has made.
“He’s very friendly,” Camavinga said. “He’s a great manager with a rich history. You learn a lot from him every day, particularly about the mindset you need to have on the pitch.”
