Atletico Madrid have pushed back against Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho's outspoken condemnation of the officiating in the recent derby, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for the visitors. Mourinho arrived at the post‑match press conference clutching printed sheets that highlighted two incidents he believed merited straight 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 the game. In response, Atletico took to their X (formerly Twitter) platform on Monday with two separate posts.
The first featured a short video of a printer churning out a sheet of paper emblazoned with the hashtag "#StopAcosoArbitalYA," which translates to "stop referee harassment now." The second post displayed an image of Mourinho at the press conference, overlaid with the same slogan, signalling the club's displeasure with the manager's public attack on the referee. Mourinho had presented the media with photographs of two tackles that he claimed should have resulted in expulsions. He was particularly incensed that Atletico defender Cristian Romero was not shown a red card after a stamp on Real's Jude Bellingham. He also took issue with a challenge by Lee Kang‑in on Federico Valverde, which occurred before Real were reduced to ten men five minutes after the break.
"We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," Mourinho said, holding up the pictures as he launched a nearly five‑minute tirade. "Those were two clear red cards.
The difficulties we've faced since the sending‑off – 11 against 10 – well, we can imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against nine would have been like if justice had been done." The match itself saw Real defender Dean Huijsen receive a dismissal after bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area, allowing Alejandro Grimaldo to slot home a low spot‑kick. Six minutes later, Jonathan David doubled Atletico's lead, while Antonio Rudiger headed in a late free‑kick to narrow the deficit for Real.
Despite the loss, Mourinho praised his side's first‑half performance, saying he could only "hug" his players after what he described as a period "full of class and great character." His criticism, however, was sharply aimed at referee Miguel Ángel 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, Mourinho responded with a pointed remark: "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 suggesting 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 also issued an official match report after full‑time that echoed many of Mourinho's grievances. The La Liga club described the encounter as "marked by poor officiating" and singled out Ortiz Arias for failing to send off Cristian Romero after the latter stepped on Bellingham's knee, even though the incident was reviewed on the monitor.
The report further claimed that the referee also neglected to punish Lee Kang‑in for a challenge on Valverde that involved a studs‑on‑ankle contact. According to the statement, the first 30 minutes of the game featured few dangerous moments, but after that point "controversy took over the derby." It recounted 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 prompt from referee Trujillo Suárez, reviewed the footage and downgraded the sanction to a yellow card instead of a dismissal. Nine minutes later, the report said, the referee missed another crucial error by not penalising Lee Kang‑in for a studs‑on‑ankle challenge on Valverde. Ortiz Arias was allegedly close to the incident but failed to issue any card, nor was he alerted by Trujillo Suárez on that occasion.
Atletico's social‑media campaign, featuring the "#StopAcosoArbitalYA" hashtag, underscores the growing frustration among clubs and fans regarding perceived inconsistencies in refereeing standards. While Mourinho's outspoken criticism has attracted significant media attention, the club's own response suggests a broader concern about the treatment of referees and the language used to address them.
The episode also highlights the delicate balance that football governing bodies must maintain: protecting officials from undue harassment while ensuring that legitimate complaints about missed or misapplied decisions are heard. As the season progresses, both Real and Atletico will be looking to avoid similar controversies, focusing instead on the on‑field performance that ultimately decides points and titles. In the meantime, fans can stay engaged with the ongoing debate, follow the clubs' official channels for updates, and, for those interested in a lighter diversion, the article concludes with a reminder to "Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m!
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