Diomande says he “would die for Mourinho,” but the coach is already limiting his minutes as the club looks to avoid creating a “new Mastantuono” Yan Diomande says he “would die for Mourinho,” but the Real Madrid youngster is already seeing his minutes carefully managed by the Portuguese coach. The approach comes as people within the club are keen to avoid a repeat of the Franco Mastantuono situation, with concerns that Diomande could become “the new Mastantuono” if too much pressure is placed on him too soon. Diomande has played limited minutes in Real Madrid’s first three La Liga matches, against Espanyol, Real Sociedad and Málaga. While some fans expected more from the club’s €125 million signing, Mourinho has made it clear that he does not intend to rush the 19-year-old winger. The Ivorian only broke through at Leipzig last season after playing for Leganés’ reserve team two years earlier. His rapid rise led to comparisons with Lamine Yamal, but Mourinho wants to protect his development and allow him to adapt gradually to life at Real Madrid. After the Málaga match, Mourinho called for patience and praised Diomande’s attitude, stressing that the winger is working well and eager to learn. The plan is to gradually increase his role rather than immediately make him a starter, while also respecting players such as Arda Güler and Brahim Díaz, who have earned their opportunities. Diomande appears to be fully on board with the approach. In an interview with African platform Sporty TV, he revealed that Mourinho called him in the early hours of the morning to convince him to join Real Madrid and declared: “I would die for Mourinho.”   submitted by   /u/IndividualPleasant23 [link]   [comments]