Real Madrid supporters have expressed significant frustration with manager Jose Mourinho ahead of their 2026/27 La Liga season opener against Espanyol. The backlash stems from the manager’s decision to leave new signings Yan Diomande and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the bench, with some fans taking to social media to demand his dismissal, suggesting the club should “just sack him and save everyone’s time.”
Mourinho, currently in his second stint as Real Madrid manager, included all six of the club’s summer acquisitions in the matchday squad. Among them is Diomande, who arrived as the most expensive African player in football history. Despite the excitement surrounding these arrivals, the starting XI features Thibaut Courtois in goal, with a defensive line consisting of Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate, Dean Huijsen, and Alvaro Carreras.
The midfield will see Federico Valverde and Bernardo Silva operating in deep-lying roles, while Arda Guler, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Jr are tasked with supporting Kylian Mbappe, who leads the attack. This selection has left a portion of the fanbase divided, particularly regarding the exclusion of Diomande and Alexander-Arnold, despite the team entering the match following a solid pre-season campaign that included three wins and a draw.
Their opponents, Espanyol, enter the fixture with momentum after securing a 3-0 victory over Levante in their opening league match last Sunday. Addressing the media on Friday, Mourinho acknowledged the challenge, describing Espanyol as an ambitious side and noting that he was impressed by their performance against Levante. He emphasized that his squad is fully prepared for the encounter, stating, “We have studied them,” as he looks to improve on two consecutive trophyless seasons where the club finished as runners-up. The report also notes that “Just sack him and save everyone’s time” – Real Madrid fans unhappy with Mourinho not picking 2 players in starting line-up vs Espanyol.
