Mourinho called him at 5 a.m. from Portugal. That's where this story starts.
Yan Diomande gave his first interview as a Real Madrid player this week, speaking to Africa-based platform SportyTV — and the Ivorian midfielder didn't hold back. From a late-night phone call to swapping shirts with Mbappé before they became teammates, Diomande's path to the Bernabéu reads like something nobody would have scripted.
Mourinho, Drogba, and a 5 a.m. phone call
"He told me it was important," Diomande said of that first contact with José Mourinho. "And I said, 'Why not? It's Madrid. If you want me, I'm coming.'" The fact that Mourinho spoke to him in French clearly made an impression. So did the hour.
Didier Drogba — who played under Mourinho at Chelsea — reinforced the message. "He told me Mourinho is like a father and that I need to work hard," Diomande said. "When someone like Drogba talks, you listen." On whether he'd give everything for his new manager, the answer was flat and immediate: "Of course. If you play for Mourinho, you give everything."
That kind of buy-in matters. Mourinho's teams have always run on loyalty and intensity, and getting a young player that committed before he's even trained with the squad is a decent start.
From Leganés to the Bernabéu in barely a year
His first professional match was against Real Madrid. He swapped jerseys with Mbappé that day. Now they're in the same dressing room. Diomande is aware of how that sounds — "It's crazy" is how he put it — but he's not letting it become distraction.
He was specific about the squad dynamic too. He and Vinicius had spoken before he arrived. Mbappé is a natural connection because of the shared language. But he was also clear that he's not comparing himself to either of them — he's new, he knows it, and he's not pretending otherwise.
- Youngest Ivorian player to appear at a World Cup
- First professional match came against Real Madrid — the club he's now joined
- Grew up idolizing Cristiano Ronaldo; now plays for the club where Ronaldo became a legend
He mentioned looking at a childhood photo before training — one that went viral, showing him as a kid with Cristiano Ronaldo's name written on a Manchester United shirt. "Sometimes before training I look at that photo. It's surreal."
He also spoke about his late sister, whose memory has shaped his drive. "She pushed me to never give up," he said. "I know she wants me to succeed."
Madrid paid a significant fee. Expectations will be high. And Diomande — still adjusting, still processing — hasn't even been inside the renovated Bernabéu yet. That first walk through the tunnel is still coming.
