Old comments from Lian Diomande have resurfaced as his move to Real Madrid edges closer. The Leipzig youngster is the Royal club's most prominent target in the current summer window.
Diomande once tore into the officiating in a La Liga meeting between his former club Leganes and Real Madrid, claiming the Spanish giants always benefit from refereeing decisions.
Now 19, the player is closing in on a move to the Bernabeu. Press reports say Real have agreed personal terms with him and tabled a 120 million euro offer to Leipzig, with talks heading in a positive direction.
He knows the Spanish league well. Diomande turned out for Leganes before joining Leipzig in 2025, and faced Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in his final La Liga season (2024-2025).
Real won that match 3-2, but not without controversy. Leganes protested furiously when the referee waved play on in the 94th minute after a collision between defender Raul Asencio and Diomande, with the visitors demanding a penalty.
Speaking at the time to the programme "El Chiringuito", republished today, Saturday, by Barcelona-friendly newspaper "Mundo Deportivo", Diomande made no secret of his astonishment. "I don't know why the referee didn't award the penalty," he said.
His frustration with the officiating ran deeper still. "I think the officiating was bad, there was no foul in Mbappe's favour, and the penalty we demanded was not awarded either," he added.
Then came the pointed jab at the Royal club. "Real Madrid is always like this," he said, the implication being that they profit from refereeing calls.
Fans have shared these remarks widely on social media over the past few hours, raising questions about how Real Madrid's management will respond.