Real Madrid News
Teenage star makes ambitious Real Madrid vow at presentation – “La Liga, Champions League and…”
Real Madrid have continued their string of player presentations in recent days, with Yan Diomande the latest to be unveiled as the club’s new signing.
Los Blancos have made as many as six signings so far this summer, and the club have unveiled all of them, along with Jose Mourinho, one by one.
The Ivory Coast winger has spoken passionately about representing Madrid, describing the Spanish giants as the biggest club in the world.
Speaking to Real Madrid TV, he made no attempt to hide what the move means for him. Having completed his big-money switch to Madrid this summer, Diomande looks unfazed.
Dream come true
Diomande is now surrounded by some of football’s biggest names, and he admitted looking forward to working under Jose Mourinho.
“I’m proud because this is the biggest club in the world,” Diomande said.
“Nowadays the whole world dreams of playing for Real Madrid. I’m going to give it everything,” he continued.
The youngster also reserved significant praise for Mourinho and the quality of the squad he has joined.
“To be trained by the best coach in the world and share a locker room with the best players in the world is incredible,” he exclaimed.
Diomande’s excitement is understandable. The 19-year-old has made an enormous jump in his career and arrives with considerable expectations following Madrid’s major investment in his potential.
However, his comments suggest he is embracing the pressure rather than being intimidated by the price tag, and that confidence has been a consistent theme since his arrival.
Diomande already dreaming of trophies
The winger was also struck by Madrid’s enormous collection of silverware, with the club’s history immediately giving him motivation to add more.
“Seeing all these trophies excites you to win another one,” Diomande said.
“It’s very exciting to compete in La Liga and the Champions League to win them, and why not start with this year?” he quipped.
That ambition fits perfectly with the standards Mourinho is attempting to establish. Madrid have strengthened significantly, and expectations inside the club are to compete for every available trophy.
His amazement at looking at the collection of silverware at the club was in line with what Marc Cucurella also expressed during his presentation.
For Diomande, the immediate task is settling in and establishing himself in a squad packed with attacking quality.
His talent has already earned Mourinho’s admiration, but the only way to keep it is through hard work and realising his potential.
The silver lining for Diomande is that he is no stranger to playing in Spain and should not take long to adapt to the country.
He dreamed of wearing the shirt, and now he has it. He seems determined to be a key part of Jose’s project, and it remains to be seen how he gets on through the course of the season.
Real Madrid News
Former Real Madrid striker calls Vinicius a “lost cause” in brutal assessment of his attitude
Real Madrid may have started their La Liga campaign with three points against Espanyol, but Fernando Morientes believes there are still important questions for Jose Mourinho to answer.
Speaking on El Partidazo de COPE, the former Real Madrid striker looked beyond the result and assessed the team’s early-season structure.
While he was largely satisfied with the attacking options available to Mourinho, Morientes identified midfield as an area that could become a concern as the campaign progresses.
But the strongest part of his analysis came when the conversation turned to Vinicius Junior.
Morientes worries about Real Madrid’s midfield
For Morientes, it is too early to make final judgments about Mourinho’s Real Madrid.
The team has already had to cope without important players in the midfield, meaning the manager has not yet had his preferred options available.
However, Morientes believes the picture is clearer in attack.
Arda Guler’s role on the right has helped give Real Madrid a more settled attacking structure, and the former striker believes Mourinho has enough quality to feel comfortable about his forward line.
“As for the front four, I think it’s all sorted, barring any unexpected injuries.”
The midfield is a different story.
Morientes believes Real Madrid have lacked a genuine playmaker for the last two seasons, and he feels the team still need to manage their midfield resources carefully over a demanding campaign.
Discussing Bernardo Silva, he explained where he sees the Portuguese midfielder making the biggest impact:
“I prefer Bernardo Silva to play a bit further forward, a bit like Modric, who used to push forward and get in behind the defence.
“He’s a very intelligent player, not so much for scoring goals, but for delivering that final pass.”
More to the story
Morientes’ concern is not limited to the quality of Real Madrid’s midfield, as he is also looking at the demands of the season.
With a packed fixture schedule ahead, Mourinho will need to rotate his players effectively, particularly experienced figures.
Morientes hopes the squad do not become short of options in the position where he believes Real Madrid have lacked a specialist profile for some time.
“I hope the team doesn’t end up short-handed in that position, because for the last two years the team has lacked a playmaker.”
Morientes’ verdict on Vinicius
The discussion became more direct when Vinicius’ attitude was brought into focus.
Morientes first acknowledged that footballers mature at different speeds and that development is not always straightforward.
“Players go through a process of maturing, just like children; there comes a time when some mature earlier, whilst others mature later.”
But he then sided with Santiago Cañizares, who had previously criticised Vinicius over his behaviour during matches.
“As things stand, I’m jumping on the Cañete bandwagon and see him as a lost cause, and I think that’s what drives him,” he concluded.
