The key facts

  • Mourinho: 'Only the club crest is untouchable' — a place in the lineup is determined by performance, not status
  • Vinicius is suspended for 4 La Liga matches but is available for the match against Leipzig
  • Diomande, a record signing at 140 million euros, scored against Sevilla

Mourinho on 'untouchables'

Real Madrid head coach Jose Mourinho warned Brazilian winger Vinicius Junior and other team stars on Tuesday that no one at the club is 'untouchable'. Asked whether Vinicius's place in the lineup was under threat given Diomande's form, the Portuguese coach replied: 'Only the club crest is untouchable.' According to him, what makes a player 'untouchable' is not status, the captain's armband, years at the club or the transfer fee, but performances on the pitch.

The Vinicius and Diomande situation

Vinicius has struggled with his form this season and is serving a four-match La Liga suspension for pulling an opponent's hair, but he is available for the Champions League match against Leipzig on Wednesday. Ivorian winger Yan Diomande, who became the club's record signing at 140 million euros ($157 million), has impressed in recent weeks: on Sunday he scored in a La Liga match against Sevilla in Vinicius's absence. Mourinho said Vinicius would start on the left flank against Leipzig, but has not yet told the player whether Diomande will be in the starting lineup.

The team's position

Real host the Bundesliga club, seeking a third win in three league-phase matches of the Champions League. In La Liga the team sit third, six points behind leaders Barcelona, and face an away match against the Catalans on Sunday. Mourinho admitted that the team's level is still far from desired: 'We have been working here for three or four months; it is impossible to immediately be where we want to be.' He added that he understands the maximum demands at the club and has already worked at Real for three years (2010–2013), so he 'knows perfectly well how everything works here'.

Konate's opinion

French defender Ibrahim Konate noted that the former Chelsea and Manchester United coach commands respect: 'He is a great coach, he has an aura that few have — he doesn't need to speak, and everyone will listen to and respect him,' Konate told journalists.