Mourinho: Diomande reminds me of the start of Vinícius, and I’m not thinking about El Clásico

Real Madrid manager José Mourinho appeared at a press conference following the 4-1 victory over Sevilla in the ninth round of La Liga, in a match that took place at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Regarding Sevilla's coach Luis García's statements about some refereeing decisions: "I will not comment. I want to avoid commenting on Luis's words, but regarding this incident, no one has succeeded in showing what they say happened. I do not have a clear image, and I have requested footage from the television and from the analysts who work with me using the tactical camera, but I have not been able to see what they are talking about or what upset Luis."

He added: "I say this with all honesty, if I ever thought that the refereeing was in our favour, I would have no problem coming out and stating that. But I believe the opposite will happen to us much more often; that is the natural course of things. If I receive a clear picture of something I haven't seen by Saturday, I will be ready to talk about it. But so far, nothing. For a coach who loses by a four-goal margin, then is given the chance to answer four or five questions about something that didn't happen, that's good for him. Perhaps there are other camera angles, but so far, nothing. Has anyone seen a clear picture?"

Speaking about Real Madrid's performance against Sevilla, he said: "It was a good match overall, and many players delivered individual performances at a high level. We controlled the game from the first minute to the last. We scored some wonderful goals, and possession does not always reflect the true picture of the match, but today it justified the dominance we imposed. It's not just about winning, although that is the most important thing, but about winning while playing good football and feeling positive."

Regarding the inclusion of Arda Güler in midfield, Mourinho clarified: "I will only think about the Champions League until 11 PM on Wednesday, and then I will start thinking about the clásico on Sunday. I made some changes, but I maintained a degree of logic in my selections. There were indications during parts of previous matches suggesting that this could work. As for the principle of merit and deservingness, it is largely abstract, and it is difficult for me to determine the eleven players who deserve to participate, as there are many players who deserve to play. Imagine that the player who scored the winning goal in Rome, Antonio Rüdiger, remained on the bench and did not participate for even a minute. I believe we delivered a very good match."

Regarding the reliance on Federico Valverde in the full-back position, he said: "This is Valverde, one of the most versatile players in football, as he can play in various positions at a very high level. He delivered a very strong match. It is not easy for any coach to leave good full-backs on the bench, but my feeling was that I needed a full-back capable of advancing deep and providing quality play behind Endrick, and Fede performed the task wonderfully, but I don't need to convince him of anything. He is the team captain, and if he had to play as a goalkeeper, I would give him the gloves and ask him to go onto the pitch."

Speaking about Diomande, Mourinho said: "He still has a lot to improve. He is a young and somewhat naive player, and his development is not complete yet, while the level of expectations here is very high. Instead of playing as if he is worth 25, he plays under pressure as if he is worth 125. He has a lot to develop, but he had a great game. He is still capable of improving his final touch; he gets into dangerous areas a lot, but he struggles to keep his composure in the last moment, to lift his head and look for his teammates. He will gain these things over time. He reminds me of Vinícius when he arrived at Real Madrid, and then after three years became a top-level player."

Regarding the refereeing controversy in the match between Real Betis and Barcelona, Mourinho said: "I didn't watch the match, I watched Leipzig. Even when the players are not in a closed camp, I usually am, as I come from the old school, and I watched the Bayern Munich and Leipzig match. I swear I'm not joking. After that, I received the news and comments, but it wasn't surprising to me. Just another day in the office."

In a statement regarding Vinícius Júnior ahead of the Champions League clash, José Mourinho confirmed that the player will start the next match, saying: "He will be in the starting lineup on Wednesday. The Champions League will keep him motivated. I hope he performs well, as he is in good physical condition and has worked a lot on his fitness because he did not participate today. I hope things go well for him as he deserves and as we need him, because RB Leipzig is not the team that lost to Bayern Munich; they are a completely different team."