Brahim Diaz has started on the bench for the 11th consecutive game for Real Madrid in all competitions, and Moroccan supporters are growing concerned by the lack of playing time and by the forward’s apparent passivity about it.

Diaz was a substitute on Saturday against Valencia in La Liga and came on in the 84th minute with the result all but decided, Real Madrid winning 3-0 with the last goal coming in the 75th minute.

Moroccan unease over Diaz’s treatment

Beyond the token minutes, it is the way the 27-year-old is being treated that angers his compatriots. Diaz, who has 34 caps and 15 goals for Morocco, is one of the key figures in the national team, and his apparent acceptance of the situation is what frustrates observers.

The versatile forward has been kept out on the right by Arda Guler or summer signing Yan Diomande, who are six and seven years his junior respectively.

‘Maybe it is time to have a bit of pride and leave this club,’ suggested an insider named Youssef, said to be close to the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). Despite Diaz’s undeniable talent, he fears the player could struggle with fatigue during a tournament through a lack of match fitness.

The former Manchester City player gives the impression that he puts his club above all other considerations and that nothing compares with wearing the white shirt, which has sometimes led to accusations that he undervalues his national team in comparison with Real Madrid.

Diaz, only a luxury substitute?

Signed from Manchester City in January 2019 and then loaned to AC Milan for three seasons, Diaz returned to Real Madrid permanently in the summer of 2023 with a firm intention to establish himself.

He was already limited to a substitute role under Carlo Ancelotti and Xabi Alonso before the Jose Mourinho era, but he played an active part in the club’s Champions League triumph two years ago as a luxury super-sub.