José Mourinho turned a defeat at the Metropolitano into a fierce attack on Spain’s refereeing structure, arguing that two first-half incidents should have left Atlético Madrid reduced to nine men and insisting his side had been denied an equal contest.
The coach arrived with printed images of challenges involving Baena and Kang-in Lee, using them as the centrepiece of a long response after the derby. He praised his players’ first-half personality and said they could still have won, but maintained the match had been transformed by decisions against them.
Quick facts
- Mourinho said two Atlético challenges warranted red cards.
- He criticised referee Ortiz Arias and VAR official Trujillo Suárez.
- He said his team played the second half with 10 men after Dean Huijsen’s dismissal.
- The result left Mourinho’s side behind Atlético and six points adrift of Barcelona.
- Mourinho said his players had shown pride and determination despite the loss.
“The story of the game is here,” Mourinho said while displaying the photographs. “They are two clear red cards.” He argued that 50 minutes of 11 versus nine would have produced a very different contest, adding that there are “no miracles in football” when a team is numerically disadvantaged.
His sharpest criticism was aimed at the appointment of Ortiz Arias, whom he described as a 41-year-old referee without international experience. Mourinho said the official had not been equipped for the pressure of a derby at the Metropolitano.
He also questioned the role of Trujillo Suárez in the VAR room, claiming the video official had advised the referee on one incident but not on what Mourinho considered the more serious second offence. Mourinho referred to Trujillo Suárez’s previous VAR involvement in Real Madrid matches and said the appointments committee should be “happy” with a situation he called “very strange”.
Mourinho said the referee’s name had been known a week before the game, despite his understanding that appointments are normally confirmed only 24 hours beforehand. He did not say the competition was fixed, but repeatedly said the committee had made serious errors.
“I want to think they have made a mistake, like a coach or a player makes a mistake,” he said. “They chose a 41-year-old who had never been in a situation like this, and another one with a very poor history against Real Madrid. They made a mistake, that’s all.”
On Huijsen’s red card, Mourinho said he had not yet reviewed the incident properly. He said that if the foul began outside the penalty area, it should have resulted in a free-kick and dismissal without a penalty; if it occurred inside the box and involved an obvious shirt pull, then a penalty and sending-off would be justified.
But he returned to the first half, arguing that the unpunished tackles had shaped the entire evening. His team, he said, had struggled to contain a strong opponent with an extra player after the break, yet had continued to compete with commitment.
The defeat has increased the pressure in the early league picture, with Barcelona six points ahead and Atlético now above Mourinho’s side. Mourinho nevertheless stressed that the campaign remains in its early stages and promised his team would continue fighting.
He listed other recent decisions he believes have favoured rivals, including a disallowed Osasuna goal, a penalty in San Sebastián, a Barcelona penalty and a non-dismissal involving Athletic Bilbao. Mourinho said he had expected a changed league compared with the one he left 13 years ago, but had been told otherwise.
“If they leave us in peace and allow us to compete on equal terms, there is a long way to go,” he said. “We will fight.”
Asked whether the competition remained affected by the Negreira case, Mourinho closed with a brief response: “Negreira is no longer there, right? Or is he still there? If he is not there, then it is not stained by Negreira.”
