Aurelien Tchouaméni used the word "challenge" up to four times during his official presentation in Valdebebas earlier this week, oblivious to the fact that perhaps the most difficult task he faces will be making a success of wearing the infamous number 18 shirt at Real Madrid. Perhaps he was unaware of the No.18′s troubled past, or perhaps he is simply a brave man. No player with that number has succeeded at the Bernabéu in recent years. It almost appears to be cursed. Gareth Bale was the last player to wear the No.18 jersey.

Bale's final season in Madrid did not go well with him wearing the number 18. He left the club quietly from the back door, missing the LaLiga celebrations due to a sore back, and collecting a Champions League winner's medal despite having played only seven minutes of the tournament. During the Decimocuarto party, fans in the south stand of the Bernabéu chanted his name, and he acknowledged them but did not address them directly on the mic. Bale's only words came in the form of a social media statement.

But there were many others before him. There was Luka Jovic, who had to return to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan after being shunned by Real Madrid. He had inherited the shirt from Marcos Llorente, who had worn the No.18 for a short time before leaving to join crosstown rivals Atlético. He took over the No.18 jersey from Mariano Daz, who wore it during the 2016-17 season, scoring five goals in 302 minutes of action. Due to a lack of opportunities, he left the senior team after just one year to join Olympique Lyon. Other players have been cursed with the No.18 shirt in the past.

Some escaped the curse: Lucas Vázquez and Nacho Fernández were both given the No.18 jersey when they were just breaking into the first team. However, their careers took off when they switched to different squad numbers, with Lucas taking the number 17 and Nacho taking the number 6. It was previously owned by Raul Albiol, a centre-back whose best years were not spent with Real Madrid. Los Blancos paid Valencia 15 million euros for him in the summer of 2009 and sold him to Napoli four years and 118 games later for 12 million.

That could have been a key point. Albiol took over the shirt from Julien Faubert, a player who Real Madrid fans will remember for reasons other than his performances on the field. He made headlines for a number of incidents, most notably allegedly dozing off in the dugout during a game at El Madrigal (he vehemently denied the claim to this day, saying in his defense, "I closed my eyes for 30 seconds and everyone assumed I was asleep"). His six-month loan cost 1.5 million euros, and Madrid ended up paying 28,000 euros for every minute he spent on the field - 54 (30 minutes against Racing at home and 24 minutes at San Mamés).

Just one month before Faubert arrived in the January transfer window, the No.18 jersey was assigned to Rubén de la Red, who, as we all know, had to retire from football due to a heart condition. His cardiac problems were discovered only after he collapsed on the field during a Copa del Rey match in Irun. Before him, the shirt was worn by Javier Saviola (three goals in 17 appearances) and Antonio Cassano (two goals in 12). The Italian had taken over the number from Jonathan Woodgate, who had arguably the most inauspicious debut in Real Madrid history. Madrid paid 22 million euros for the England international, who only stayed at the club for two seasons. He was injured for the entire first season, and when his long-awaited debut came against Athletic Club, he scored an own goal on 25 minutes and was sent off on 66 minutes.

Strange things happen when Real Madrid players wear the No.18 shirt, and now Tchouaméni, the most recent arrival, must break the curse. "I wore the No.8 for many years, but Kroos has it at Madrid," he explained this week. When I arrived, I was shown the available squad numbers and told that the No.18 was available. It was chosen because it is the most similar to the No.8′′.

Tchouaméni now knows the history of the infamous No.18 shirt, and there is no turning back. Now he must break the curse, which may be the ultimate challenge.