Real Madrid News
Yan Diomande opens up on joining Real Madrid: ‘When they call you, you can’t say no’
Yan Diomande is now Real Madrid’s most expensive signing of all time, and the club’s decision to splash €140 million on his arrival speaks volumes about how highly they rate him.
The youngster arrives to reinforce the club’s right-wing department – a position they have suffered in for a long time now without a natural option.
His debut was initially expected for tomorrow when the team play their penultimate pre-season friendly.
However, he has been excluded from the squad for lacking match fitness, and all signs point to his much-awaited debut coming at the weekend in the team’s final pre-season game.
Diomande speaks out
The new Real Madrid signing spoke to Real Madrid TV earlier this week where he was asked about a plethora of topics related to his transfer and new club.
He first began by explaining how Real Madrid was always his dream club and how it felt to fulfil that dream.
“I am proud and happy because this was my dream. When I was a child I wanted to play for the biggest clubs in the world. I am grateful to be here and I am happy and proud. I want my family to be proud of me.”
“This is the biggest club in the world and everyone wants to come here. I am grateful to be here and I want to share my happiness with everyone. I want to be part of the team’s triumphs,” he added.
The Ivory Coast international then went on to thank the manager Jose Mourinho who personally pushed for the transfer and also the board for going through with the transaction.
“I want to thank the coach because we had a conversation before and I’m here thanks to him and the club, of course.”
“I’m happy. Thank you for this signing and thank you to the club and the coach for believing in me,” he added.
The youngster was then asked about the teammates he interacted with in the dressing room and what he hoped to learn from his peers.
“It’s always good to have great players in the locker room. You learn from them. As I said, I saw them on TV and today we share the same wardrobe. It’s incredible.”
Stepping into Real Madrid, the winger will now be held against much higher standards given the sky-high expectations from the club. Speaking on the same, he said,
“It’s different. This is harder. It’s normal because it’s the biggest club. You need to work harder than in other clubs to be the best in the world. And that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Diomande then opened up on his personality and admitted how he was as a person off the field.
“I’m a little shy to talk and I want to learn the dynamics of the team to help achieve many successes together.”
Towards the end of his interview, the club’s most expensive signing was asked why he chose to sign for Real Madrid, especially given that he had a deal agreed with PSG much prior.
“Because it’s the best club in the world. When Madrid calls you, you can’t say no. It’s that simple.”
Finally, he was asked to confess his ambitions with the club and all that he aimed to conquer while defending the Real Madrid crest.
“Have many successes with the club and help the team win everything. I am very happy to be here and I hope to have a lot of success in the team. Hala Madrid!”
Real Madrid prospect Alexis Ciria will have to wait for his Champions League opportunity despite making a strong impression on Jose Mourinho during pre-season.
The Castilla winger has been left out of Real Madrid’s European squad, but the decision is the consequence of UEFA registration rules rather than a sporting judgment.
According to journalist Arancha Rodriguez (h/t Defensa Central), Ciria was not eligible for Madrid’s List B because he has not been with the club long enough to satisfy UEFA’s requirements.
Registering him would therefore have required Mourinho to include him on the more restrictive List A.
UEFA rules work against Ciria
List B provides clubs with additional flexibility to register young academy players, but being young enough is not sufficient on its own.
Players must also meet requirements concerning how long they have been eligible to represent the club.
Ciria does not meet those conditions because of his limited time at Valdebebas. Real Madrid would therefore have needed to sacrifice a List A position to register him.
With those places required for members of Mourinho’s senior squad, Ciria was ultimately left out.
Real Madrid’s List B instead includes youngsters such as Joan Martinez, Mario Rivas, Thiago Pitarch, Jorge Cestero and Daniel Yanez.
Many of these youngsters made a name for themselves under Mourinho during pre-season and could be used to make up the numbers in the Champions League squad.
They could also get some minutes off the bench, especially against relatively easier opposition, as Jose Mourinho looks to manage first-team minutes.
Mourinho still plans first-team opportunity
Importantly for Ciria, missing the Champions League squad does not appear to reflect a change in Mourinho’s opinion of him.
The youngster impressed during pre-season and is expected to continue spending time around the senior team.
Mourinho intends to give Ciria his official first-team debut during the season. That opportunity will now have to arrive in La Liga or the Copa del Rey.
The Portuguese tactician placed a lot of emphasis on trusting Castilla players during pre-season in the absence of first-team stars.
Ciria was one of the many names who made a name for themselves at Real Madrid during pre-season. He deserves a chance in the first team, and it remains to be seen how Jose plans his development.
