Madrid’s derby did not settle when Atlético de Madrid secured a 2-1 win over Real Madrid. Diego Simeone’s side had been the stronger team, but the aftermath moved swiftly from the pitch to the press rooms, club channels and social media, where Atlético answered José Mourinho’s complaints about the referee and VAR.
A derby followed by a refereeing dispute
Real Madrid reacted badly to the defeat, arguing from the outset that key officiating decisions had influenced Atlético’s victory. The club’s website maintained that the result had been shaped by the refereeing, while Real Madrid TV delivered an especially fierce response.
- Real Madrid TV said there should be “a circular allowing opponents to come out with revolvers”.
- The channel also described the situation as “vomit-inducing”.
- Mourinho made the officiating the central subject of his post-match appearance at the Metropolitano auditorium.
The Portuguese coach arrived with two photographs, intended to show challenges involving Cuti Romero and Kang-in Lee which he believed should have resulted in red cards. He said there was little need for a conventional press conference because “the story of the match is here”, referring to the images.
Mourinho added that, aside from Atlético supporters, the refereeing committee should be pleased with the appointment of the match official. “It has all been very strange,” he said.
Simeone calls for restraint
Simeone took a markedly different line when he faced the media shortly afterwards, asking for respect amid the argument surrounding the result.
“We respect what others think,” the Atlético coach said. “We are in a privileged position, but every name has to be careful about what it says.”
He included himself among the prominent coaches who must recognise that responsibility, naming Hansi Flick, Mourinho and Jürgen Klopp. Simeone warned that everyone loses when public figures cross the boundary of respect.
Atlético’s social-media reply
Twenty-four hours later, Atlético responded directly through their social-media accounts. The club posted a video showing a sheet emerging from a printer, before revealing an image of Mourinho holding the pages containing the disputed tackles during his Sunday press conference.
The accompanying message appeared in Spanish and English:
- “Stop referee harassment now.”
It was a pointed closing gesture from Atlético after a derby victory that had already become a broader dispute over the limits of criticism directed at match officials.
