Mourinho tried to convince Real Madrid star to get a tattoo of his face

Jose Mourinho has jokingly encouraged Marc Cucurella to add another football figure to his collection of tattoos by getting the Real Madrid manager’s face inked on his body. 

The suggestion follows the defender’s decision to honour Spain coach Luis de la Fuente with a tattoo after the national team won this year’s World Cup.

Cucurella had promised before the tournament that he would get a tattoo of De la Fuente if Spain lifted the trophy, and he fulfilled that commitment after returning home with a winner’s medal in July.

The defender subsequently attended Spain’s next international camp with the new body art, prompting questions about whether he regretted the unusual tribute.

“I don’t regret it, honestly,” Cucurella told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope. He also revealed that suggestions had emerged for him to extend the gesture to his club manager.

“I knew you were going to ask me about it. Some people have even suggested I get Mourinho’s face tattooed on me,” he said.

Cucurella confirmed that Mourinho had personally joined the joke after his move to Real Madrid in July, sending him an image suggesting what such a tattoo would look like.

“I do remember Mourinho sent me a photo with my chest and his face tattooed on it,” the defender revealed.

The Portuguese manager’s playful intervention adds another chapter to Cucurella’s unusual collection of football-related tributes.

The Spain international had already fulfilled another promise following the country’s triumph at the 2024 European Championship, when he dyed his hair red to celebrate the title.

Whether Mourinho eventually gets the same permanent tribute as De la Fuente remains to be seen, but the defender has shown that he is willing to honour his promises when Spain win major tournaments.