Lamine Yamal and his Ballon d'Or remarks

"I cannot comment on everyone's statements. I respect a player's words, but I don't offer an opinion."

Arda Guler's development

"There are people far better qualified than me to speak about his progress and physical transformation. But as far as I am concerned, his quality is exceptional—the vision, decision-making, the composure he brings to our play, the sheer creativity. In my eyes, he possesses fantastic potential and is already posting hugely impressive figures. We conduct deeper analyses internally. Perhaps I won't go as far as repeating 'top' three times, but he is certainly top, top."

Vinicius' form

"His finest version comes when he is scoring goals. Providing assists matters, as does putting in the hard yards for the team. Commitment, unity, collective effort, daily graft... he does all of that brilliantly. Yet there is another Vinicius: the one who knocked out Benfica last season, the one who settles tight contests in an instant—one chance, one goal, game over. Right now, he is lacking that decisive edge."

Diomande: closing in on a regular starting berth?

"Is Diomande lacking anything? Not a single thing. If, instead of being at Real Madrid surrounded by this squad, he were at a club with fewer players of such immense potential, he would almost certainly start and play 90 minutes every week. The squad is formidable and boasts tremendous depth. Over a long campaign, you inevitably lose a bit of petrol in the tank, alongside motivation and internal competition. We also speak about Arda, Vinicius, Brahim and, come January, Rodrygo. Being an 'undisputed starter'—a phrase you all love so much—is exceptionally difficult."

The Valverde-Tchouameni partnership

"It doesn't always have to be a 2+1; it can just as easily be a 1+2, and we can set up with a 6 and two 8s. Irrespective of the individual, there are balances, movements and dynamics that do not dramatically alter our identity. They bring distinct profiles: Camavinga, Tchouameni, Bernardo, Valverde, Jude... We constantly strive to strike that balance without compromising our identity, whilst remaining mindful of the threats posed by the opposition."

Style of play

"It is difficult to explain concisely; we could sit here debating it for hours. I don't believe sustaining a high press for 90 minutes is feasible. That isn't our profile, nor is it the profile of many sides across world football. When we sit deeper, we have to operate differently. To be complete from a defensive standpoint, you must master both approaches. Personally, I dislike using a low block, but certain profiles within a squad are simply better suited to it, and I refuse to create a conflict between my personal tastes and the qualities of my players."

A parting, tongue-in-cheek question on penalties (aimed at Barca and Atleti?)

"No questions about the penalties? Strange, isn't it?"

Lamine Yamal

Achievements