REUTERS/Pablo Morano
An amusing clip of Jose Mourinho spiriting off the Real Madrid bench to remind Denzel Dumfries of a new rule introduced for the 2026-27 La Liga season is going viral on social media.
Mourinho, 63, began his second spell as Real Madrid head coach with a last-gasp victory away at Espanyol on Saturday night.
England international Jude Bellingham opened the scoring for the visitors in the ninth minute before Alex Calatrava levelled the scores midway through the first half.
Mourinho made three substitutions with 10 minutes left to play. One of his boldest decisions was to replace Bellingham with 21-year-old Carlos Espi.
But it was Espi, a summer signing from Levante, who netted the all-important winning goal on his Real Madrid debut.
“I think we deserved to win, but Espanyol didn’t deserve to lose,” Mourinho conceded after the match. “We played, especially in the second half, with great control and pressure. We took many risks, and I think we deserved to win.
“But a team like Espanyol, defending as they did, counterattacking dangerously, with players pushing themselves to the limit and being very well-organised, it’s tough for them to go home with nothing.”
Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho
The legendary Portuguese coach added: “I didn’t expect Bellingham to be able to play for so long. Some players are still not at their best, and when it comes to pressing the way I like, we’re still missing minutes and kilometers, both in training and in matches. That’s why I value this victory so much because it was a victory with soul and also from the bench.
“I always say: a frustrated bench doesn’t help at all. A bench with team spirit, when you have the quality that we have, can help you win. It was a tough match and very important points for us.”
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Mourinho Reminds Dumfries of New Rule
Jose Mourinho reminds Denzel Dumfries of new La Liga rule
While the diligent Mourinho leaves no stone unturned in his preparation for matches, he may remind his players about the new rules introduced at the start of the current campaign following an incident involving another summer signing, Denzel Dumfries.
Footage shows Mourinho rushing from his seat towards Dumfries, who was taking his time with a throw-in.
Referee Jose María Sanchez had visibly started the five-second countdown by moving his arm up and down, by which point Mourinho had already raced towards the Netherlands international, who joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan this summer. Watch the clip below:
Mourinho was acutely aware that Dumfries risked giving the throw-in to Espanyol by failing to release the ball before the ref’s five-second countdown had ended.
He took action and ensured Dumfries quickly threw the ball before it was too late.
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The new countdown rule for throw-ins has been introduced in every major European league this season, including England’s Premier League.
A countdown only begins when the referee deems that a player is deliberately delaying the restart of play.
The rule does not cover setting up for long throws, which are considered to the set-piece routines. However, a countdown may start once players are in position.