Atletico Madrid have pushed back against Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho's outspoken condemnation of the officiating during Sunday’s highly charged derby. Mourinho arrived at the post‑match press conference clutching printed sheets that highlighted two incidents he believed should have resulted in straight red cards for Atletico players. The former Chelsea boss accused the match officials of making decisive errors that, in his view, cost Real a fair chance to win the game, which ultimately ended 2-1 in favour of Atletico.
In response, Atletico took to their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday with a pair of posts aimed at silencing what they termed "referee harassment". The first post featured a short video of a piece of paper being printed with the hashtag #StopAcosoArbitalYA, which translates to "stop referee harassment now". The second post displayed a still of Mourinho at the press conference, overlaid with the same message, signalling the club’s displeasure with the manager’s public tirade. During the conference, Mourinho held up photographs of the two contentious tackles and launched into a nearly five‑minute rant.
He argued that Cristian Romero’s stamp on Jude Bellingham should have been punished with a red card, and that Lee Kang‑in’s challenge on Federico Valverde also merited a dismissal. "We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," Mourinho said, gesturing to the images. "Those were two clear red cards.
The difficulties we faced after the sending‑off – eleven against ten – make you wonder 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 after bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area, allowing Alejandro Grimaldo to convert a low spot‑kick. Atletico then extended their lead six minutes later when Jonathan David doubled the advantage. Antonio Rudiger’s late header from a free‑kick reduced the deficit for Real, but the damage had already been done.
Mourinho, while praising his squad for a first‑half display of "class and great character", directed sharp criticism at referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias and the officials responsible for his appointment. "They have given a 41‑year‑old referee with no international experience a crucial match – it is certainly not because he is an outstanding official," Mourinho asserted.
He added that the referee seemed unable to cope with the "80s‑style pressure" inside the Metropolitano, a pressure he claimed is rarely seen in modern stadiums. When questioned about Real’s six‑point gap behind Barcelona, Mourinho responded pointedly: "If they just leave us in peace and let us compete on a level playing field with everyone else, we still have a long way to go." He stopped short of alleging a conspiracy, saying, "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 released an official match report that echoed many of Mourinho’s complaints, describing the encounter as "marred by poor officiating". The club’s statement claimed that Ortiz Arias failed to send off Cristian Romero for a stamp on Bellingham’s knee, despite reviewing the incident on the monitor, and also neglected to punish Lee Kang‑in for a studs‑on‑ankle challenge on Valverde. According to Real, these two decisions fundamentally altered the course of the match, which was ultimately decided in the second half in Atletico’s favour.
The report detailed the sequence of events: at the 30th minute, a contested ball saw Bellingham reach the ball before Romero, who then drove his studs into the Madrid player’s left knee. Ortiz Arias initially booked Romero, but after a request from referee supervisor José María Trujillo Suárez, the incident was reviewed. The referee rescinded the original card for Bellingham and issued a yellow to Romero instead of a red.
Nine minutes later, Lee Kang‑in’s challenge on Valverde, which involved a studs‑on‑ankle contact, was also overlooked. Ortiz Arias was reportedly close to the incident but did not issue any sanction, nor was he prompted by Trujillo Suárez this time. Atletico’s social media campaign, underscored by the #StopAcosoArbitalYA hashtag, reflects a broader concern within Spanish football about perceived bias and the treatment of referees by high‑profile figures.
While Mourinho’s passionate defence of his side is typical of his outspoken style, the club’s measured response aims to shift the narrative from personal attacks to a call for respectful discourse. The incident also reignites the ongoing debate about the use of video‑assisted refereeing (VAR) and the consistency of its application. Critics argue that the technology, while intended to reduce errors, sometimes leads to contradictory outcomes, especially when supervisory officials intervene after the on‑field referee has already made a decision.
Both clubs have called for clearer guidelines and more transparent communication from the referee’s committee to avoid similar controversies in future derbies. In the aftermath, Atletico will look to build on their victory and address the concerns raised by their rivals, while Real Madrid will seek to regroup and close the gap to Barcelona in the league standings.
The next few weeks promise further tactical battles, and perhaps another opportunity for Mourinho to voice his grievances – this time, hopefully, with a more balanced perspective on the role of officiating in the beautiful game.