José Mourinho arrived at his post-match press conference carrying printed photographs after Real Madrid’s controversial 2–1 defeat to Atlético Madrid.
The Portuguese coach argued that referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias had failed to dismiss Cristian Romero and Lee Kang-in during the first half. Madrid later lost Dean Huijsen to a red card early in the second period.
Two incidents ignite Mourinho’s anger
As TV 2 reported, Mourinho used the photographs to illustrate challenges on Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde.
“They were two clear red cards,” he said in the official Real Madrid transcript.
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Romero was booked after a VAR review corrected the referee’s original decision to caution Bellingham. Mourinho believed the challenge itself warranted a dismissal. Lee received no card for his later contact with Valverde, prompting further anger from the Real Madrid bench.
Mourinho also criticised the appointment of Ortiz Arias, questioning whether a 41-year-old referee without international status had sufficient experience for a Madrid derby. He directed further criticism towards VAR official Daniel Trujillo Suárez.
Atlético punish ten-man Madrid
Huijsen was dismissed after VAR reviewed his foul on Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area. Alejandro Grimaldo converted the resulting penalty before Jonathan David doubled Atlético’s advantage in the 59th minute.
Antonio Rüdiger pulled one back in the 89th minute, but Atlético held on. The official Atlético match timeline confirms the 2–1 result and the decisive second-half sequence.
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Mourinho praised his players but sarcastically congratulated the refereeing appointments committee. His press conference ensured that the officiating, rather than Atlético’s derby victory, became the dominant story after the final whistle.
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