Jose Mourinho reveals how Real Madrid youngster gave him a black eye: ‘Hit me with a ball’

Jose Mourinho reveals how Real Madrid youngster gave him a black eye: ‘Hit me with a ball’ Jose Mourinho gave Real Madrid fans something unexpected to talk about during the club’s final pre-season match against Schalke, with a noticeable black mark below his right eye immediately catching the attention of photographers. When the Real Madrid manager arrived at the Veltins-Arena, the bruise around his eye was impossible to miss.  Images of Mourinho quickly raised questions about what had happened, especially with the team preparing for its final test before the start of the competitive season. As it turns out, there was no dramatic story behind the injury. What happened to Mourinho? As explained by the manager himself, he had simply been involved in an accident during one of Real Madrid’s final training sessions before travelling to Germany.  A ball struck him while he was wearing glasses, leaving him with the visible bruise that became one of the more unusual talking points around the Schalke match. Mourinho has now explained exactly what happened during an interview with El Chiringuito TV . When jokingly asked whether he had stepped in to break up another supposed clash involving Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde, Mourinho was quick to dismiss the suggestion. “No… A poor kid, La Costa, hit me with a ball, and I was wearing glasses. But that’s not why he wasn’t in the squad in the last match (laughs).” New signings make first Real Madrid appearances Beyond the unusual attention surrounding Mourinho, the match against Schalke marked an important step for several members of the Real Madrid squad. Mourinho came out with a black eye. (Photo by Jose Manuel Alvarez Rey/Getty Images) The likes of Ibrahima Konate, Yan Diomande and Marc Cucurella all made their first appearances in a Real Madrid shirt, giving fans an early look at three of the club’s new additions. Meanwhile, established stars such as Thibaut Courtois, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe also continued building their fitness as Mourinho prepares his side for the start of the new campaign. The Schalke game therefore served its purpose beyond the final result.  Mourinho was able to assess his new players in match conditions while gradually bringing some of his most important names closer to full match fitness.