Atletico Madrid did not take kindly to the remarks made by Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho concerning the officiating in the recent derby that took place on Sunday. After the match, Mourinho stepped up to the podium with printed hand‑outs that highlighted two specific moments he believed should have resulted in red cards for Atletico players. The former Chelsea boss accused the match officials of making decisive mistakes that, in his view, influenced the 2-1 defeat suffered by Real Madrid.
In retaliation, Atletico took to their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, publishing two separate posts. The first post featured a short video clip that showed a sheet of paper being printed with the bold slogan "#StopAcosoArbitalYA," which translates to "stop referee harassment now". The second post displayed a still image of Mourinho at the post‑match press conference, again accompanied by the same hashtag, signalling the club's displeasure with the criticism directed at the referee.
Mourinho had held up photographs of the two contentious tackles for the media after the match. He was particularly incensed that Atletico centre‑back Cristian Romero was not shown a red card after a stamping motion on Real's Jude Bellingham. In addition, Mourinho pointed to a challenge by Lee Kang‑in on Federico Valverde, which he argued also warranted a dismissal.
At the time, Real found themselves reduced to ten men just five minutes after the break, a situation Mourinho believed could have been even more damaging if the referee had applied the rules correctly. "We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," Mourinho said, brandishing the images as he launched into a nearly five‑minute tirade.
"Those were two clear red cards. The difficulties we faced after the sending‑off – eleven against ten – we can only imagine what fifty minutes of eleven against nine would have looked like if justice had been done." The match itself saw Real defender Dean Huijsen sent off for bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area, which allowed Atletico's Alejandro Grimaldo to convert a low spot‑kick. Six minutes later, Jonathan David doubled Atletico's advantage, while Antonio Rudiger managed to pull one back for Real with a headed free‑kick late in the game, narrowing the margin. Despite the loss, Mourinho said he could only "hug" his players after what he described as a first half "full of class and great character".
However, his praise was quickly followed by sharp criticism aimed at the referee, Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, and the officials responsible for his appointment. "They've put a referee, aged 41, with no international experience – it’s certainly not because he’s a great referee," Mourinho asserted. "Then the poor chap has come here and hasn't been able to cope with the pressure – and it really is intense pressure.
I call it '80s‑style pressure' here in this stadium, which you hardly ever see these days." When asked about Real's six‑point gap behind Barcelona in the league table, Mourinho delivered a pointed response: "If they just leave us in peace and let us compete on a level playing field with everyone else, we've still got a long way to go." He stopped short of alleging any conspiracy, adding, "I don't want to go so far as to say this was set up... I want to believe that they simply made a mistake." Real Madrid later issued an official match report that echoed many of Mourinho's complaints.
The La Liga side described the defeat as "marked by poor officiating" and specifically blamed Ortiz Arias for failing to send off Cristian Romero after a stamp on Bellingham's knee, despite reviewing the incident on the monitor. The report also highlighted the missed call on Lee Kang‑in's challenge on Valverde, stating that the referee was close enough to the action but did not issue any card, nor was he alerted by his assistant.
According to the Real report, the first half was relatively uneventful until the 30th minute, after which controversy began to dominate the narrative. At the 35th minute, a contested ball saw Bellingham reach the ball before Romero, only for the Atletico defender to plant his studs into the Madrid player's left knee. Ortiz Arias initially booked Romero but, after a review prompted by assistant Trujillo Suárez, changed the decision to a yellow card instead of a red.
Nine minutes later, a similar situation unfolded when Lee Kang‑in struck Valverde's left ankle with his studs; again, the referee did not intervene. The Atletico response on social media, with the hashtag #StopAcosoArbitalYA, was intended to call for an end to what they view as undue harassment of referees.
The club's messaging suggests a broader concern about the pressure placed on officials in high‑stakes matches and a desire for a more balanced dialogue between clubs, managers, and the governing bodies that appoint referees. In the aftermath, both clubs have vowed to focus on their upcoming fixtures. Atletico will look to build on the momentum from their derby victory, while Real Madrid aims to close the gap to Barcelona and restore confidence in their squad and coaching staff. The controversy surrounding the refereeing decisions is likely to remain a talking point in the media, with analysts debating whether the incidents truly warranted red cards or if the officials handled the situations appropriately under the existing Laws of the Game.
The episode also underscores the ongoing debate within Spanish football about referee training, the use of video‑assistant referees (VAR), and the transparency of decision‑making processes. As the season progresses, clubs and fans alike will be watching closely to see if similar disputes arise and how the Spanish Football Federation responds to calls for reform.
Overall, the derby will be remembered not only for its on‑field drama but also for the off‑field clash between a high‑profile manager and the officiating establishment, a clash that has reignited discussions about fairness, accountability, and the role of technology in modern football.