‘100% Sure’—Jose Mourinho Snaps Back at Divisive Real Madrid Team Selection
José Mourinho played down Yan Diomande starting over Arda Güler in Real Madrid’s 4–1 win over Rayo Vallecano as a simple case of rotation, snapping that he was “100% sure” the media would have an issue with whatever starting XI he named.
On Saturday, Diomande made his first competitive start for Madrid following his record-breaking €125 million ($145 million) transfer from RB Leipzig this summer. Previously, Mourinho had preferred to ease the 19-year-old into the action with cameos off the bench.
The Ivorian created two chances and registered one shot during his 72-minute shift out on the Bernabéu right wing, as he searches for a first goal contribution at his new club.
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Meanwhile, Güler, who was brought on in the second half with the game already effectively won, created a match-high five chances in just 20 minutes on the pitch and set up Madrid’s fourth of the game after sliding in Kylian Mbappé in added time.
Güler, who was one of few Madrid players to emerge from last season with their reputation enhanced, is making himself hard to ignore this season, with three goal contributions in as many starts.
‘Too Old to Feel Pressure’—Mourinho on Team Selection
Asked after the La Liga encounter why he opted to started Diomande on the right over Güler, Mourinho played down the significance of the decision.
“Arda plays a big role when he’s on the pitch,” the manager replied. “I’m 100% sure that if Diomande hadn’t started today, the first question would have been, ‘Why isn’t Diomande playing?’ You only see quality on the bench. Changes will happen game by game. Arda has a very positive influence on the team’s play. When he came on, he made a real difference in the team’s stability.”
Mourinho also denied that he feels obliged to start Diomande due to his record price tag and status as Madrid’s marquee summer signing
“I’m a bit too old to feel pressure,” he said. “You have different squads; sometimes you have to pray that no one gets hurt, other times you have plenty of solutions.
“He’s [Diomande’s] going to keep improving. He hasn’t been playing at a high level for very long and has a lot to learn tactically. But he has incredible potential. In one-on-one situations, passing, shooting... He gives us a lot of options. He can play where Vini is, on the right, Arda can play there, or where [Jude] Bellingham is. Right now, I want to help him develop.”
Bellingham Gives Diomande New Nickname After First Start
Big things are expected of Diomande, who was included on the Kopa Trophy shortlist last week after a breakout season in the Bundesliga in 2025–26, but fans in Spain are still waiting to see exactly why Madrid president Florentino Pérez went all out to make the Ivorian his latest galáctico.
Despite a cautious and low-key start to the season, Diomande has a firm backer in his new teammate Jude Bellingham, who was among the scorers on Saturday.
Madrid’s No. 5 hyped up Diomande following his first start, responding to the winger’s post-match Instagram post with a with a play on words.
Bellingham’s replied with a diamond emoji and the letter ‘e’.
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