Diamonde’s resurfaced Real Madrid refereeing remarks stir debate as €120m move nears

Yan Diomande’s impending transfer to Real Madrid has been thrown into the spotlight after old comments by the RB Leipzig youngster accusing the Spanish giants of benefiting from refereeing decisions re-emerged online.

The 19-year-old, now a leading target for Real Madrid in the current summer transfer window, had criticised officiating in a past La Liga match between his former club Leganes and Real Madrid, suggesting the Bernabeu side routinely gain from key calls.

Spanish media reports say Real Madrid have reached an agreement with Diomande on personal terms and have submitted a €120m offer to RB Leipzig, with negotiations understood to be progressing positively. The fresh circulation of his remarks has, however, prompted discussion among supporters over how the club’s hierarchy will view the episode.

Familiar with La Liga

Diomande is no stranger to Spanish football. Before joining RB Leipzig in 2025, he played for Leganes and faced Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in his final La Liga campaign (2024-2025).

That match ended in a 3-2 victory for Real Madrid but was overshadowed for Leganes by a contentious incident deep into stoppage time. In the 94th minute, Leganes appealed for a penalty after contact in the box between defender Raul Asensio and Diomande, but the referee allowed play to continue.

The decision provoked strong protests from Leganes’ players and staff at the time and was heavily debated in Spanish media in the days that followed.

‘Real Madrid are always like this’

Speaking in the aftermath of that game to the television programme “El Chiringuito”, comments that Barcelona-based newspaper Mundo Deportivo republished on Saturday, Diomande voiced his disbelief at the officials’ handling of the key moment.

“I don’t know why the referee didn’t give the penalty,” he said when asked about the late incident involving Asensio.

He went on to deliver a broader criticism of the officiating that night, adding: “I think the refereeing was bad, there wasn’t a foul for Mbappe, and the penalty we asked for was not given.”

Diomande then made a pointed accusation about Real Madrid’s perceived relationship with refereeing decisions, concluding: “Real Madrid are always like this (meaning they benefit from refereeing decisions).”

These remarks, largely forgotten as his career moved on to the Bundesliga, have now resurfaced across social media platforms just as Real Madrid close in on a major deal to bring him to the Bernabeu.

Reaction and unanswered questions

Supporters have been sharing and debating the clips and quotes in recent hours, with some questioning whether the comments might influence Real Madrid’s stance as they attempt to finalise one of the biggest transfers of the window.

As things stand, there has been no public response from Real Madrid regarding Diomande’s past statements, nor any indication from RB Leipzig that the controversy has affected negotiations.

For now, the situation leaves an intriguing sub-plot around a proposed €120m transfer: a player who once openly accused Real Madrid of regularly profiting from refereeing calls may soon be wearing their shirt, should the deal be completed as expected.