Atletico Madrid did not stay silent after Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho publicly lambasted the officiating in the recent derby, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for the visitors. Mourinho arrived at the post‑match press conference armed with printed sheets that highlighted two specific moments he believed warranted straight red cards for Atletico players. The former Chelsea boss accused the referee of making decisive errors that, in his view, altered the outcome of the match.
In response, Atletico took to their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday with two distinct posts aimed at countering Mourinho's narrative. The first post featured a short video clip showing a piece of paper being printed with the slogan "#StopAcosoArbitalYA," which translates to "stop referee harassment now." The second post displayed a still image of Mourinho during the press conference, overlaid with the same hashtag, clearly signalling Atletico's disapproval of the criticism directed at the match official. By using the same hashtag in both posts, the club sought to frame Mourinho's comments as an unwarranted attack on the referee rather than a legitimate grievance.
Mourinho's grievances centered on two incidents. The first involved Atletico defender Cristian Romero, who was seen stamping on Real's Jude Bellingham. Mourinho argued that the action was severe enough to merit a dismissal, yet the referee only issued a yellow card after a brief review on the monitor.
The second incident concerned Lee Kang‑in’s challenge on Federico Valverde, which Mourinho also felt should have resulted in a sending‑off. He pointed out that the referee, Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, allowed the match to continue with Atletico playing with ten men after the earlier red card to Real defender Dean Huijsen, and he suggested that the game could have been even more lopsided had the two alleged offenses been punished with reds.
During the press conference, Mourinho held up the printed images and launched into a nearly five‑minute tirade. He said, "We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," gesturing to the photographs. He continued, "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." His remarks underscored the frustration he felt about what he perceived as inconsistent enforcement of the Laws of the Game. The match itself unfolded with Real taking an early lead when Huijsen was shown a red card for bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area, allowing Alejandro Grimaldo to convert a low spot‑kick.
Atletico responded swiftly, with Jonathan David doubling the lead six minutes later. Real managed to pull one back late in the game when Antonio Rudiger headed in a free‑kick, narrowing the margin but not enough to change the result.
Mourinho, while praising his players for their resilience – describing the first half as "full of class and great character" – did not shy away from a scathing assessment of the referee. He criticized Ortiz Arias for being a 41‑year‑old official with no international experience, implying that his appointment was questionable. "They've put a referee, aged 41, with no international experience – it's certainly not because he's a great referee," Mourinho said.
He added that the referee appeared overwhelmed by the pressure, likening it to the intense atmosphere of the 1980s, a rarity in modern stadiums. When asked about Atletico's six‑point gap behind Barcelona in the league table, Mourinho gave 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 a conspiracy, stating, "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 released an official match report after full‑time, echoing many of Mourinho's points. The club described the derby as being "marked by poor officiating," specifically naming Ortiz Arias for failing to send off Cristian Romero after a review of the incident where Romero's studs landed on Bellingham's knee.
The report claimed that the referee initially booked Romero, then rescinded the card after a review, opting instead for a yellow card. It also highlighted another missed call involving Lee Kang‑in, who allegedly struck Valverde's left ankle with his studs, yet received no sanction at all. According to Real's account, these two moments were pivotal and directly influenced the eventual result in favour of Atletico.
In summary, the post‑match fallout has turned into a broader debate about referee standards, the use of video‑assistant technology, and the pressures faced by officials in high‑stakes fixtures. Atletico's social‑media campaign, featuring the #StopAcosoArbitalYA hashtag, seeks to defend the referee against what they view as unfounded criticism, while Mourinho and Real Madrid continue to argue that the officiating errors cost them dearly. The incident adds another chapter to the ongoing conversation about fairness and consistency in La Liga, a league that is increasingly scrutinised for its handling of contentious decisions. Play Super 6 for a chance to win £1m!
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