Atletico Madrid have pushed back against the complaints raised by Real Madrid’s coach, Jose Mourinho, regarding the officiating in Sunday’s derby. Mourinho arrived at the post‑match press conference clutching printed sheets that highlighted two specific incidents he believed warranted red cards for Atletico players. The former Chelsea boss accused the match officials of making decisive mistakes that, in his view, altered the outcome of a game Real ultimately lost 2-1.
In response, Atletico took to their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday with two separate posts. The first featured a short video of a piece of paper being printed with the slogan "#StopAcosoArbitalYA," which translates to "stop referee harassment now." The second post displayed an image of Mourinho at the press conference, overlaid with the same hashtag, clearly signalling the club’s displeasure with the criticism directed at the referee.
During the conference, Mourinho presented photographs of the two tackles he felt should have resulted in dismissals. He was particularly incensed that Atletico centre‑back Cristian Romero was not shown a red card after a stamp on Real’s Jude Bellingham.
He also took issue with a challenge from Lee Kang‑in on Federico Valverde, noting that the visitors were reduced to ten men only five minutes after the break. "We could have skipped 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 – make you wonder what fifty minutes of eleven against nine would have looked like if justice had been served." The match itself saw Real defender Dean Huijsen sent off after bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area, an incident that allowed Alejandro Grimaldo to convert a low spot‑kick.
Six minutes later, Jonathan David doubled Atletico’s lead, and Antonio Rudiger later headed in a free‑kick to narrow the gap for Real. Mourinho, while praising his players for a first‑half display he described as "full of class and great character," directed sharp criticism at referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias and the officials responsible for his appointment. "They gave a 41‑year‑old referee with no international experience the job – it’s certainly not because he’s an outstanding official," Mourinho argued. "The poor guy was under immense pressure, the kind of 80s‑style pressure you rarely see these days in this stadium." When asked about Real’s six‑point deficit behind Barcelona, Mourinho replied 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 it was simply a mistake." Real Madrid later released an official match report that echoed Mourinho’s sentiments, describing the encounter as "marred by poor officiating." The La Liga side claimed that Ortiz Arias failed to send off Cristian Romero in the first half for stepping on Bellingham’s knee, despite reviewing the incident on the monitor, and also neglected to penalise Lee Kang‑in for a challenge on Valverde’s ankle.
According to the report, those decisions were pivotal. "Until the 30th minute, the game featured very few dangerous moments. From that point onward, controversy dominated the derby," the club wrote.
It detailed that in the 35th minute, during a contested ball, Bellingham reached the ball before Romero, who then planted his studs into the Madrid player’s left knee. Ortiz Arias initially booked the Atletico defender, but after a request from referee supervisor José Luis Trujillo Suárez to review the footage, the card was changed to a yellow for Romero rather than a dismissal. Nine minutes later, the report said, the referee missed another crucial moment, failing to sanction Lee Kang‑in for a studs‑on‑ankle challenge on Valverde. Ortiz Arias was reportedly close to the incident but did not issue any card, nor was he prompted by Trujillo Suárez this time.
Atletico’s social media campaign, underscored by the #StopAcosoArbitalYA hashtag, reflects a growing frustration within the club and its supporters regarding perceived bias or inconsistency in refereeing decisions. By publicly displaying the hashtag alongside Mourinho’s own images, Atletico aimed to shift the narrative from a single coach’s grievance to a broader call for respect toward match officials. The incident also reignites the long‑standing debate about the use of video‑assistant referee (VAR) technology in La Liga. Critics argue that while VAR can correct clear errors, its inconsistent application and the discretionary power of referees and supervisors can still leave crucial moments unresolved, fueling accusations of unfairness.
Both clubs now look ahead to their next fixtures, with Real hoping to close the gap on Barcelona and Atletico seeking to build on their derby victory while avoiding further controversy. The episode serves as a reminder that in high‑stakes matches, decisions made in a split second can have far‑reaching consequences, not only on the scoreboard but also on the relationship between teams, officials, and the governing bodies that oversee the sport. As the season progresses, the dialogue surrounding officiating standards, referee appointments, and the role of technology in football will likely continue to evolve, with clubs like Atletico Madrid ready to defend their position and demand greater transparency and fairness on the pitch.