According to AS, Real Madrid winger Diomande will meet his new teammates and coach for the first time after completing three days of individual training.
Diomande's era at Real Madrid has begun. After three consecutive days of individual training, Real Madrid's big-name signing this summer will finally meet the team and begin preparations for his debut against Deportivo La Coruña. After a tense summer dragged out by club negotiations and agent disputes, Real Madrid officially announced the signing last Thursday.
Becoming the world's best player and honoring his sister are his biggest motivations. After a transfer saga that lasted longer than expected, Diomande has finally realized his dream. On Monday, he will train under Mourinho for the first time. As Real Madrid's new face, he must prove that the transfer fee paid by the club was worthwhile. This pressure usually affects players, but the Ivorian's experience makes these demands seem much lighter. From being forced to leave his homeland to seek opportunities to the tragic murder of his sister Roxanne, Diomande's story shows that for him, football is simply a sport to enjoy.
Diomande's vacation began after the World Cup, where he became one of the tournament's most surprising players. Off the field, it seemed a deal to be finalized with Paris Saint-Germain was close. However, the agreement was never finalized, and Real Madrid intervened. With Real Madrid's involvement, other suitors stepped aside. Real Madrid quickly reached an agreement with the player, but still needed Leipzig's approval. Negotiations were delayed due to disagreements over the total amount, the allocation of fixed fees and performance-related clauses, and a legal dispute between the player's former agent and his new agency, Roc Nation. Since no agreement was reached before the Bundesliga team's pre-season preparations began, the player had to undergo a medical examination. The club and the player subsequently agreed that he would train separately while awaiting the official transfer announcement. The Ivorian star was not included in the squad for the team's first friendly match.
Current RB Leipzig coach Martin Demichelis stated, "If he's sick, then he's sick." This was clearly just a cover for the deal. Ultimately, the transfer saga concluded last Thursday with Real Madrid officially announcing a contract with him until 2033. Last Friday, Diomande flew to Madrid, passed his medical, and then traveled to Valdebebas for his first meeting with the team. He was completely alone at the Real Madrid training ground at the time, as the team was preparing for their match against Ferencváros, and no joint training sessions were scheduled. The same was true for the next two days, with only Courtois returning early to accompany him. The goalkeeper has confirmed a full recovery from his injury.
Now it's Diomande's turn to showcase himself in the locker room and send a clear message: his price tag matches his on-field performance, and he came to Madrid to shine in a dream attacking line. Meanwhile, the national team players who participated in the World Cup semi-finals will gradually return. Bellingham, Mbappe, Chuameni, and Konaté are expected to be the first to report between Monday and Wednesday, while Cucurella will be the last to rejoin the team after Spain's World Cup victory. With these players back, Mourinho will finally have a full squad available, excluding the injured.
Diomande stood before the opportunity he and his sister had always dreamed of: to become the world's best player and make the world remember Roxanne's name. Roxanne tragically died at a party when she was 15. In short, Diomande's era had begun. After finishing his individual training, he would complete his first full-team training session and begin fighting for his place. Real Madrid had invested heavily in him, with a clear goal: to build a legendary attacking trident of Vinicius, Mbappe, and Diomande.
