At the Metropolitano, where Madrid derbies rarely settle quietly, Atlético’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid has continued to reverberate beyond the final whistle. What began as a disputed seventh-round LaLiga result on Sunday has developed into a wider row over officiating, red cards and a confrontation involving the two benches.

Real Madrid finished the match with nine players, while much of the visiting reaction focused on two Atlético players who, in Madrid’s view, could also have been dismissed. The arguments did not end on the pitch. Tension between the technical areas later carried into the dressing-room corridor, where Atlético goalkeeping coach Pablo Vercellone and Pedro Machado, an assistant to José Mourinho, were both sent off.

New footage from the touchline has placed Gabi at the centre of another episode from the derby. The former Atlético captain, now working alongside Diego Simeone, became involved in a personal exchange with Real Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger. Gabi made an aggressive gesture towards his genitals and used a crude insult directed at the German international, further inflaming an already heated scene among the staffs.

Mourinho’s anger after the derby

Mourinho made no attempt to hide his frustration after Real Madrid’s defeat, arguing that refereeing decisions had shaped the contest. He singled out the dismissals that reduced his side to nine and described the overall circumstances around the appointment as “very strange”.

The Portuguese coach noted that the identity of the referee had been known a week before the match and raised questions about both the on-field official and the VAR team. He stopped short of claiming that there had been a planned operation against Real Madrid, but his comments added to the club’s fierce post-match response, which included claims that the officiating had been unacceptable and accusations that the competition was manipulated.

Mourinho also pointed to a developing disciplinary pattern in the opening weeks of the campaign. Real Madrid had already received two red cards against Elche before the two further dismissals in the derby, leaving the club to reflect on both a painful defeat across the city and a mounting sense of grievance as September moved on.