What Were the Harsh Criticisms Faced by Real Madrid and José Mourinho After Their Refereeing Complaints in the Madrid Derby?

Real Madrid and José Mourinho faced criticism after their reaction to the refereeing in the defeat against Atlético de Madrid. Here are all the details.

Real Madrid once again found itself at the center of the conversation following a 2-1 defeat to Atlético de Madrid. This time, beyond the result, the club's complaints about the refereeing sparked a wave of criticism toward the Spanish giants and José Mourinho, particularly because of the attention the officiating controversy received after the derby.

A FORMER BARCELONA STAR TAKES A SWIPE AT REAL MADRID

Carles Rexach, a FC Barcelona legend, was among those to weigh in on the controversy. In an interview with "El Cafè d'idees" on 2Cat, the former Barcelona player and coach said: “Throughout history, the team that has benefited the most, not only in Spain but also in Europe, has been Real Madrid.”

Rexach explained that he had already held that perception during his playing career and also questioned the impact of VAR: “I thought that with this whole VAR thing, which I was initially very much in favor of, this advantage would be more effective.”

However, he argued that the issue remains because decisions now involve both referees and VAR officials.

MOURINHO, REAL MADRID'S HEAD COACH, ALSO TAKES HEAT

José Mourinho's comments also drew a strong response from the Spanish media. During "Tiempo de Juego" on Cadena COPE, journalist Paco González questioned the approach taken by the Portuguese coach after the defeat.

“Mourinho has reappeared, I don't know how many years later. The defeat is because of the referee,” González said. He also directly criticized Real Madrid's decision to appoint the Portuguese coach: “Real Madrid needed a modern coach and they have brought back the coach from 15 years ago.”

The journalist also took a swipe at Mourinho's role within the Madrid setup: “They have hired a screenwriter for Real Madrid TV.”

González also suggested that, after the controversy, football itself could take a back seat in the discussion surrounding the derby.

MOURINHO'S COMPLAINTS AFTER THE 2-1 DEFEAT

The controversy began after Mourinho questioned several refereeing decisions during the derby. At his post-match press conference, the Portuguese coach arrived with a sheet showing the incidents involving Cristian Romero and Jude Bellingham, as well as Kang-in Lee and Federico Valverde.

“They are two clear red cards,” Mourinho said, arguing that the match could have been very different if Atlético de Madrid had finished with nine players. The coach also questioned the appointment of referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias and the performance of Daniel Trujillo Suárez in the VAR booth.

The Madrid coach also expressed his frustration with the refereeing appointment and claimed that other decisions from previous matchdays had raised questions for him as well. His comments ensured that refereeing once again became one of the main talking points surrounding Real Madrid.

THE REFEREEING CONTROVERSY THAT FOLLOWED THE DERBY

The context helps explain the scale of the debate. Real Madrid finished the match with 10 players following Dean Huijsen's dismissal, while Mourinho argued that two Atlético players should also have been shown red cards.

One of the incidents involved Romero and Bellingham, although the VAR intervention was related to confusion over the identity of the player who had been booked, rather than a review to determine whether a red card was warranted.

The other incident, involving Kang-in Lee and Valverde, became the subject of intense debate. As a result, the derby left two separate issues under discussion: the refereeing decisions and Real Madrid's reaction.

The controversy, therefore, did not end with the final whistle. Atlético de Madrid's 2-1 victory opened another chapter in the long-running debate surrounding refereeing and Real Madrid.