José Mourinho has a black eye: it’s a player’s fault

José Mourinho’s black eye sparked curiosity during the friendly match between Real Madrid and Schalke 04, the Blancos’ final preseason match before the start of the season. The Special One took his place on the bench at the Veltins Arena with a bruised right eye, immediately sparking speculation on social media.

The Spanish media later uncovered what had happened: during the training session the day before the match, Mourinho was hit squarely in the face by a ball kicked by an unnamed player; he was wearing glasses at the time and was left with a bruise.

Ball incident aside, Mourinho said he was very satisfied with his team’s 3-0 victory: “The ideas are coming together, the players have incredible quality, and we’re working very well as a team. It was a very positive test—the last training session before the real matches and the fight for points.” Real Madrid won 3-0 with goals from Mbappé, Huijsen, and Espì.

Dean Huijsen, one of the night’s goal scorers, has once again proven himself to be a cornerstone of Mourinho’s tactical plan. The Spanish defender, who joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2025 for 59 million euros from Bournemouth, is considered by the Special One to be absolutely indispensable: it’s no coincidence that, in recent weeks, the Portuguese coach himself vetoed Juventus, which had been testing the waters for a possible return of Huijsen to the Bianconeri.