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José Mourinho dismissed concerns about Yan Diomande getting the nod over Arda Güler in Real Madrid's 4–1 victory against Rayo Vallecano, calling it straightforward rotation and insisting he was "100% sure" the press would find fault with any lineup he put out.
On Saturday, Diomande earned his first competitive start for Madrid following his record-setting €125 million ($145 million) move from RB Leipzig during the summer. Prior to this, Mourinho had chosen to introduce the 19-year-old gradually through substitute appearances.
The Ivorian winger created two chances and had one shot during his 72-minute outing on the Bernabéu's right flank, as he continues to hunt for his first goal contribution at the club.
Güler, meanwhile, came on in the second half with the result already decided, yet produced a game-high five chances in just 20 minutes and teed up Madrid's fourth goal by threading Kylian Mbappé through in stoppage time.
Güler, one of the few Madrid players who actually bolstered his reputation last season, is proving increasingly difficult to overlook this campaign, having contributed to three goals in as many starts.
'Too Old to Feel Pressure'—Mourinho on Team Selection
When questioned after the La Liga match about his choice to start Diomande on the right ahead of Güler, Mourinho brushed off the importance of the call.
"Arda has a big impact whenever he's on the field," the coach said. "I'm 100% sure that if Diomande hadn't started today, the first question would have been, 'Why isn't Diomande playing?' You only notice quality when it's on the bench. Selections will change from game to game. Arda has a very positive effect on how the team plays. When he came on, he genuinely changed the team's balance."
Mourinho also rejected the notion that he feels compelled to start Diomande because of his record-breaking fee and standing as Madrid's headline summer acquisition.
"I'm a bit too old to feel pressure," he said. "You have different squads; sometimes you have to pray that no one gets hurt, other times you have plenty of solutions.
"He's [Diomande's] going to keep getting better. He hasn't been performing at this level for very long and still has plenty to learn tactically. But his potential is extraordinary. In duels, passing, shooting... He gives us so many options. He can play where Vini plays, on the right, Arda can play there too, or where [Jude] Bellingham operates. Right now, I want to focus on his development."
Bellingham Gives Diomande New Nickname After First Start
Great things are anticipated from Diomande, who featured on the Kopa Trophy shortlist last week after a standout Bundesliga campaign in 2025–26, but supporters in Spain are still waiting to see exactly why Madrid president Florentino Pérez went to such lengths to make the Ivorian his newest galáctico.
Despite a measured and understated start to the season, Diomande has a strong supporter in new teammate Jude Bellingham, who was also among the goalscorers on Saturday.
Madrid's No. 5 showed his enthusiasm for Diomande after his first start, responding to the winger's post-match Instagram post with a clever play on words.
Bellingham replied with a diamond emoji followed by the letter 'e'.