Why Jose Mourinho had a black eye during Real Madrid friendly vs Schalke
Jose Mourinho has revealed how he suffered a noticeable black eye that caught the attention of fans during Real Madrid's latest pre-season match.
Madrid maintained their unbeaten record in pre-season with victory over Bundesliga outfit Schalke on Sunday as goals from Kylian Mbappe, Dean Huijsen and Carlos Espí sealed a 3-0 win at the Veltins Arena.
It was an exciting evening for Los Blancos supporters, with summer signings Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate featuring from the start.
Four more new arrivals, Marc Cucurella, Denzel Dumfries, Espí and Yan Diomande, were named on the bench before Diomande and Cucurella made their much-anticipated debuts in the second-half.
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Speaking after the full-time whistle, Mourinho said it was a "positive" all-round performance. "There are some players who arrived later and don't yet have the same intensity as the guys who started on day one," he said.
"Those who started on day one have had 30 training sessions and six matches. Those who arrived now have had three or four training sessions."
Mourinho, who has overseen three wins and one draw in pre-season ahead of their clash against Espanyol on Saturday, also explained the story behind a black eye that became a major talking point during the game in Germany.
"A ball to the face during training," he confirmed, as per Yahoo Sports. "If I hadn't been wearing the glasses, it probably wouldn't have happened at all. It could have been worse."
Jose Mourinho has introduced three strict rules every Real Madrid player must follow
It didn't take long for Mourinho to make a statement of intent on his return to the Bernabeu. According to AS, the self-proclaimed 'Special One' has laid down three strict rules that all players at the club must follow.
The first rule involves nutrition, with Mourinho being of the belief that high athletic performance begins in the kitchen.
The role of nutritionists at Real Madrid is no longer advisory. Instead, they will set the everyday menu that all players must follow, with everything tailored to enhance footballing performance over personal preference.
The second involves punctuality, with the punishment for being late to training now being a solitary hour in the gym. Failure to turn up to team training an hour prior to its starting time will not result in financial punishment, but physical endurance.
Finally, injury recovery must strictly be handled at Valdebebas, with outside treatments off the table for Real Madrid players.
Topics: Jose Mourinho, La Liga, Real Madrid, Football
Jack Kenmare