Real Madrid News
Real Madrid new signing will not travel to Hungary for pre-season friendly vs Ferencvaros
After lengthy negotiations and multiple delays, Real Madrid finally announced the signing of Yan Diomande from RB Leipzig on Thursday.
The 19-year-old winger has signed a lengthy seven-year contract with Los Blancos until 2033, indicating the club’s faith in long-term potential.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid shelled out a massive sum of €125 million for the Ivory Coast international, with another €15 million set to be paid in performance-related add-ons.
If all those variables are achieved, Diomande would become the most expensive player in the history of Real Madrid.
Debut will have to wait
Diomande arrived in Madrid yesterday for his medicals and official contract signing. Following that, it was expected that he would train under Jose Mourinho today and be included in the squad list for the trip to Hungary to face Ferencvaros.
However, according to Melchor Ruiz of COPE, the teenage forward did not train with his new Real Madrid teammates today.
While Diomande did successfully complete his medicals, as things stand, it is understood that he is not scheduled to travel with the rest of the squad to Hungary for the friendly against Ferencvaros.
As such, fans will have to wait for a little while longer to see Diomande in action in the royal white jersey of Real Madrid.
Huge leap of faith
Real Madrid have shown that they are not shy of splashing the big bucks for youngsters with potential in the past.
The likes of Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo, Endrick, and more recently Franco Mastantuono arrived for significant transfer fees when compared to their age and the stage of their careers at that point.
But, with Diomande, Los Blancos have taken a gigantic leap of faith, spending a club-record fee for a 19-year-old with only one full season under his belt at the highest level.
In all, the winger has played less than 50 first-team matches across his spells at RB Leipzig and Leganes prior to that. So, the investment does represent a huge risk on Real Madrid’s part, and only time will tell how things pan out for Diomande.
Real Madrid News
Inter Milan boss Chivu praises Mourinho ahead of Real Madrid showdown: ‘A special person’
Inter Milan head coach Cristian Chivu has described Jose Mourinho as “a special person” ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League meeting with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Romanian spent two seasons playing under Mourinho at Inter between 2008 and 2010, a period that culminated in the club winning the Champions League at the very same stadium in 2010.
A serial winner
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Chivu reflected warmly on his former manager.
“He’s a special person who I was lucky enough to meet in my life. He gave me important help during a difficult period of my life, and I’ll never forget that,” Chivu said, as quoted by Mundo Deportivo.
Chivu also praised Mourinho’s ability to influence the teams he manages and instil his mentality in his players.
“He’s very good at immersing himself in the reality of the team he represents and transmitting his mentality. He’s a winner who knows how to communicate things at the right moment. Very few people know how to do that like he does,” he said.
“He has won everywhere he has been, and I’m sure Real Madrid will have a great season.”
Despite his admiration for Mourinho, Chivu insisted that the Portuguese has not served as a template for his own coaching career.
Asked whether he takes inspiration from his former manager, the Inter boss replied: “I’ve never copied anyone. I have my own idea of football, which has been built through my years as a player and as a coach.”
Chivu assesses Mourinho’s Real Madrid
Chivu believes it is still too early to draw firm conclusions about Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid.
“It’s still very early. It has been a fairly balanced start, although they lost their last match undeservedly because they played very well,” he said.
“They’re a team with a great history and a coach who knows how to do things.”
“Playing at the Bernabeu is not easy for anyone”
With Mourinho in the dugout and Chivu in defence, Inter defeated Bayern Munich in the 2010 Champions League final at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The now-Inter manager believes returning to the stadium where they lifted the trophy 16 years ago will provide a special occasion, although he knows the challenge facing his team.
“The stadium has been renovated and it’s even more beautiful. It has a great tradition and today it’s more beautiful and more modern. We like playing a Champions League match in this stadium,” he said.
“Playing at the Bernabeu is not easy for anyone. Inter haven’t won here for 60 years. We’ll do everything possible and we want to show that we’re competitive and that we have the desire to dominate.
“There’s no perfect way to play against Real Madrid because they have players who can make the difference regardless of the plan you have.”
Inter arrive in Madrid after recovering from a difficult game against Napoli, while Chivu prepares to face the coach who played such an important role in his career.
