Yan Diomande, Ivory Coast and RB Leipzig player
Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Yan Diomande has been eased into life at Real Madrid after securing a blockbuster summer move to Los Blancos from RB Leipzig.
Mourinho has chosen to tread carefully with the talented teenager, and he has shown signs of coming to life in recent games.
His price tag has unsurprisingly brought about a lot of debate, and Diomande hit back at his critics recently, remaining confident of his success at the club.
Diomande is now on international duty with Ivory Coast, where he is one of the first names on the team sheet.
The 19-year-old may not have found the net for Ivory Coast against Ghana, but the Real Madrid youngster hardly needed a goal to underline just how dangerous he can be.
Diomande runs riot against Ghana
Wearing the No. 10 shirt, the 19-year-old ran the show, and his performance was difficult to ignore.
Diomande completed seven dribbles, won 10 duels and created three chances. He recorded 76 touches and completed 91% of his passes, combining the explosiveness Madrid already know about with impressive efficiency in possession.
Yan Diomande, Ivory Coast and RB Leipzig player
Diomande was fantastic against Ghana. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Interestingly, Ivory Coast deployed him primarily from the right rather than his more familiar position on the left. That did little to restrict him.
Diomande repeatedly drove at Ghana’s defence and even produced an elastico during the second half.
The only thing missing from his performance was a goal, with Yalcouye and former Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie instead providing the finishes in the 2-0 win.
Mourinho has another reason to consider him
For Madrid, the performance is a reminder of what he can bring to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Diomande remains a developing player rather than a finished product, but his ability to beat defenders provides Mourinho with something valuable.
Seven completed dribbles and 10 duels won also underline that his game is not simply about spectacular moments. He was heavily involved and consistently willing to take responsibility.
Yan Diomande, Real Madrid player
Diomande’s versatility could earn him a route to minutes at Madrid. (Photo by Francisco Macia/Getty Images)
His performance from the right is particularly encouraging because Madrid need someone to complement Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe, who prefer to operate in the left-sided channels.
Against Elche, Diomande assisted Mbappe while operating from the right before becoming even more threatening after switching to the left.
That versatility can only help his case for more minutes. The Ivory Coast winger is competing with Vinicius for minutes on the left and Arda Guler for minutes on the right.
As things stand, he seems much more settled in his national team, where he is a superstar, than at Madrid, and that is understandable.
As the season goes on, there is no doubt that Diomande will have a crucial role to play for Los Blancos, and it remains to be seen how he develops under Mourinho.
Jose Mourinho reveals why he chose to return to Real Madrid: ‘Didn’t have the best results’
Jose Mourinho, Manager of Real Madrid
Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images
After a couple of trophyless seasons at Real Madrid, Florentino Perez had to make an important decision in the summer about how to take the club forward.
He turned to a familiar face in Jose Mourinho, who was at Benfica, and the Portuguese manager has had a mixed start to life back at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Mourinho has now explained why he returned to Real Madrid and offered a fascinating insight into the standards he now demands from a dressing room filled with some of football’s biggest names.
Mourinho came to Madrid to rebuild the team
Speaking on the Bet It Drives podcast in an episode titled “The Special One Special,” Mourinho revealed that Madrid approached him after two disappointing seasons because they wanted him to lead another long-term period of success.
“I came back because the club wanted me to come back,” Mourinho said, explaining that his relationship with Madrid had remained close since his departure in 2013.
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid coach
Jose Mourinho came back to bring trophies and culture to Real Madrid. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
He said the club approached him after a period in which “the biggest club in the world didn’t have the best results” and its relationship with supporters had deteriorated.
Mourinho then revealed the message he received from Madrid:
“We need you to rebuild. We need you to start again an amazing decade that the club had.”
Madrid did not turn to Mourinho just for an upturn in results. The club wanted someone capable of resetting the standards and rebuilding the winning culture.
Mourinho’s first demand from his players
Mourinho then spoke about his philosophy and what he expects from his players.
“Don’t betray me,” Mourinho said.
“When I say don’t betray me, I’m speaking, of course, about football. Don’t betray me and I will be always there for you.”
For Mourinho, being a Real Madrid player cannot be a profession that begins at training and ends when a player leaves Valdebebas. The commitment has to extend into everyday life.
“If you feel that you are a player for only a few hours a day, you will never reach the top,” Mourinho said.
That expectation also shapes his attitude towards players going out during the season.
“You can only go out on the nights after a match,” he said.
Mourinho’s message is clear and simple. He accepts that his players have lives away from football, but the standards he expects them to uphold are very high.
Mourinho draws the line with superstar egos
Mourinho was equally clear when discussing how he handles major personalities. Having extraordinary talent does not allow a player to place himself above the group.
“Anyone who creates problems because of their ego is not a superstar,” Mourinho said.
“When the ego is bigger than the talent, they are not superstars for me.”
Real Madrid dressing room is filled with superstars. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
He reinforced his position by making clear that he does not provide any exemptions from the standard established inside his dressing room.
“When ego outweighs talent, you are not a superstar, and there are rules that cannot be broken,” Mourinho concluded.
These words are especially applicable to Madrid, where the dressing room is filled with superstars who undoubtedly have massive egos.
Former managers like Xabi Alonso and Alvaro Arbeloa have struggled to channel the ego in the right direction.
With Mbappe, Vinicius, Bellingham and several other major personalities in one dressing room, the onus is now on Mourinho to push them in the right direction.