José Mourinho sparked controversy after Real Madrid’s 4-0 rout of Malaga, discussing the situation of Ivorian star Yan Diomande, who has yet to nail down a starting spot this season, before turning the conversation into a sarcastic dig at the transfer’s price tag.
Asked why Diomande remains on the bench, Mourinho said: “He has to take things step by step. He played 20, 15 or 30 minutes in the three matches. He is hard-working and humble, he wants to learn and develop, and he listens to me and to his team-mates. He will certainly improve.”
The Portuguese coach then pivoted to the fee. “A hundred and something? 120 or 130, I don’t know how much we paid?” he asked, repeating the question twice to the press officer beside him as the room burst into laughter.
The joke didn’t end there. Mourinho left the hall, then came back to needle the journalists once more, asking: “So, how much did we pay in the end? What was the amount?” One journalist shot back, laughing: “130 for sure.”
Behind the humour, Mourinho wanted to make one thing clear. Diomande’s spot on the bench signals no dip in his faith in the Ivorian defender, and he pointed to the varying minutes, between 15 and 30, the player got across the first three matches as a substitute.
Praising the youngster’s mentality, the Portuguese coach called him “hard-working and humble”, a player who wants to learn, develop and listen to the instructions of the technical staff and his team-mates. That attitude, he says, leaves him confident Diomande will improve as the minutes rack up.