Atletico Madrid have pushed back against the complaints made by Real Madrid boss Jose Mourinho regarding the officiating in Sunday’s derby. Mourinho arrived at the post‑match press conference clutching printed sheets that, in his view, illustrated two clear red‑card offences committed by Atletico players. The former Chelsea manager accused the referee of making decisive mistakes that, in his opinion, cost Real the game, which ended 2‑1 in favour of the hosts.
In retaliation, Atletico took to their 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 printer spitting out a sheet of paper bearing the hashtag #StopAcosoArbitalYA, which translates to "stop referee harassment now." The second post displayed an image of Mourinho at the news conference, overlaid with the same message, signalling the club’s displeasure with the manager’s public outburst. Mourinho had displayed two photographs of the contentious challenges during his remarks. He was especially incensed that Atletico centre‑back Cristian Romero was not shown a red card after stamping on Jude Bellingham’s knee, and that Lee Kang‑in’s challenge on Federico Valverde also went unpunished.
At the time of those incidents, Real were reduced to ten men just five minutes after the break, a situation Mourinho argued should have been even more disadvantageous for Atletico had the referee acted correctly. "We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," Mourinho said, holding up 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 after bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the box, allowing Alejandro Grimaldo to slot home a low spot‑kick. Six minutes later, Jonathan David doubled Atletico’s lead, and Antonio Rudiger headed in a late free‑kick to reduce the deficit for Real. Mourinho, while praising his own players for a first half he described as "full of class and great character," directed sharp criticism at referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias and the officials who appointed him.
"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 responded with a pointed comment: "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 added, "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 points, describing the defeat as "marked by poor officiating." The La Liga side claimed that Ortiz Arias failed to send off Cristian Romero for a deliberate stamp on Bellingham’s knee, despite reviewing the incident on a monitor.
They also alleged that the referee ignored a second clear challenge by Lee Kang‑in on Valverde’s left ankle, a decision they said heavily influenced the outcome of the match. According to the Real report, the first half was relatively uneventful until the 30th minute, when a contested ball saw Bellingham reach the ball before Romero, who then planted his studs into the Madrid player’s knee. Ortiz Arias initially booked the Atletico defender but, after being prompted by referee assistant Trujillo Suárez to check the replay, rescinded the card for Bellingham and issued only a yellow card to Romero instead of a dismissal.
Nine minutes later, the referee allegedly missed another serious infraction when Lee Kang‑in struck Valverde’s ankle with his studs, again failing to show any card despite being in close proximity to the incident. Atletico’s response on social media was not merely defensive; it was a clear signal that the club will not tolerate what it perceives as unfounded attacks on officials. By posting the anti‑harassment slogan, the club sought to shift the conversation from Mourinho’s accusations to a broader discussion about respect for referees and the pressures they face in high‑stakes fixtures.
The incident highlights a growing tension in Spanish football between managers, clubs, and match officials. While managers like Mourinho feel empowered to publicly challenge decisions, clubs are increasingly defending their officials and demanding that criticism remain constructive. The use of social media by both sides amplifies the debate, turning what might have been a private grievance into a public spectacle. In the aftermath, both teams will have to refocus on their upcoming fixtures.
Atletico, now with a morale boost from the derby win, will look to build on their performance, while Real must regroup after a disappointing loss and a contentious officiating narrative that could affect their confidence. The league’s governing bodies may also review the referee’s performance, as is customary after high‑profile matches, to determine whether any procedural errors occurred.
Overall, the episode serves as a reminder of how pivotal refereeing decisions can be in tightly contested derbies, and how quickly those decisions can become flashpoints for broader debates about fairness, accountability, and respect within the sport.