José Mourinho launched a furious attack on Spanish officiating following Real Madrid’s 2–1 loss to Atlético Madrid, while simultaneously insisting he holds none of his players responsible for the derby defeat.
Mourinho arrived at the press conference holding a sheet of paper featuring photos of Cuti Romero’s challenge on Jude Bellingham and Kang-in Lee’s tackle on Federico Valverde, arguing that both incidents warranted red cards for Atlético during the first half.
Asked about Real Madrid falling six points behind league leaders Barcelona, Mourinho remarked: “Perhaps things would be different under other circumstances. In this stadium, we saw Osasuna’s disallowed goal, the penalty in San Sebastián, and then Barcelona’s penalty… at that point, all you can do is laugh.”
The Portuguese manager added: “Everything was extremely strange. The referee’s name was known a week before the match—he is not an international referee, which indicates he is not top-tier.”
Continuing his critique of referee Ortiz Arias, Mourinho stated: “The poor guy came here and couldn’t handle the pressure,” noting that the atmosphere at the Metropolitano reminded him of what he described as “1980s-style pressure.”
Mourinho expressed concern over his team’s psychological state, stating: “What our players are experiencing on the pitch is not normal. They feel demoralized.”
He added: “I can only embrace my players. I don’t blame them; they gave everything. Now imagine how the match would have looked playing 11 against nine.”
Mourinho refrained from directly criticizing Dean Huijsen’s red card, explaining he had not yet viewed the replay after the match, but maintained that the derby should have seen Real Madrid playing with 11 men against nine Atlético players as early as the first half. Real Madrid generated limited offensive output prior to the sending-off, registering just one shot on target.
Real Madrid dropped to third place with 15 points, trailing Atlético by one point and Barcelona by six. The defeat marks Mourinho’s third loss against Atlético in 12 career encounters (eight wins, one draw). He will be tasked with restoring momentum following the international break, facing Villarreal, followed by Roma in the UEFA Champions League, and subsequently Sevilla.
