Madrid’s derby has carried its argument beyond the Metropolitano gates, where images of referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias leaving the stadium smiling in his private car have sharpened Real Madrid’s anger over the match’s officiating.
Key takeaways
- Ortiz Arias was filmed departing the Metropolitano in a relaxed, smiling manner after the derby.
- Real Madrid have issued an institutional complaint about the refereeing in their defeat to Atlético de Madrid.
- The club believe Cristian “Cuti” Romero should have been sent off for his 35th-minute challenge on Jude Bellingham.
- Madrid also objected to Kang-In Lee’s 44th-minute incident involving Federico Valverde.
- A penalty awarded against Dean Huijsen is another central part of the visitors’ protest.
A debate that followed the teams out of the stadium
The footage of Ortiz Arias leaving the ground spread rapidly online after the derby, provoking an immediate reaction among Real Madrid supporters. In an already charged setting, the referee’s apparent ease away from the pitch became a further focus for fans unhappy with the key decisions made during the contest.
Real Madrid had already made their position plain through a club report headed “Poor refereeing decides the derby”. The protest aligned with earlier criticism from head coach José Mourinho and the club’s hierarchy, who see the disciplinary calls in the first half as decisive elements in the result against Atlético.
Madrid’s objections from the first half
The principal complaint concerns Romero’s tackle on Bellingham in the 35th minute. Real Madrid maintain that the defender should have received a red card. They have also highlighted Kang-In Lee’s challenge on Valverde nine minutes later, considering that incident another decision that went against them.
Alongside those two episodes, the penalty given against Huijsen has been cited by the club as a major factor in the defeat. The images from outside the Metropolitano have therefore added a visual postscript to a dispute that Madrid believe raises wider questions about impartiality for the remainder of the campaign.
With the club’s complaint now public and supporters continuing to circulate the footage, attention is set to remain on the relevant refereeing authorities in the days ahead.
