Mourinho brandishes printouts as Atletico mock Real Madrid boss

José Mourinho

Diego Simeone

Jose Mourinho brought his trademark theatricality to the Madrid derby press room, waving printed sheets of paper to protest refereeing decisions after Real Madrid fell to a 2-1 defeat against Atletico Madrid.

The Portuguese manager was furious with the officiating at the Metropolitano, claiming his side were denied two clear advantages in the first half.

Mourinho brandishes his evidence

Armed with A4 printouts showing freeze-framed tackles, Mourinho claimed Atletico should have been reduced to nine men before the break.

The screenshots highlighted a challenge by Cristian Romero on Jude Bellingham and another by Lee Kang-in on Federico Valverde.

Speaking to the media after the match, Mourinho said:

“We can skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here.”

The Real Madrid boss argued that playing against nine men for the final 50 minutes would have completely transformed the contest.

Instead, it was his own side who saw red when defender Dean Huijsen was sent off early in the second half for dragging down Giuliano Simeone.

Atletico mock the theatrical display

Atletico were quick to ridicule the former Chelsea manager’s antics on social media the following day.

The club posted a video on X showing a printer churning out a page with the hashtag “#StopAcosoArbitralYA”, translating to “stop referee harassment now”.

A subsequent post featured an image of Mourinho holding his printouts alongside the same message, attracting over two million views within hours.

Atletico manager Diego Simeone took a more measured tone but urged his counterpart to show more restraint.

Responding to the complaints in his own press conference, Simeone said:

“And when someone crosses that line of respect, it’s not right – you can’t cross that line.”

Real Madrid echo manager’s anger

The defeat leaves Real Madrid six points adrift of leaders Barcelona after just seven weeks of the season.

It marks their second league defeat of the campaign, following a 1-0 loss to Real Betis earlier in September.

Mourinho directed his frustration at referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, questioning his appointment for such a high-profile fixture.

Criticising the referee in his post-match press conference, Mourinho said:

“Then the poor chap has come here and hasn’t been able to cope with the pressure – and it really is intense pressure.”

Real Madrid’s official website also published a scathing match report, claiming the derby was heavily influenced by “poor officiating”.

The club pointed to the decision not to dismiss Romero for planting his studs into Bellingham’s knee, despite a VAR review.

Title race remains the focus

After Huijsen’s dismissal, Alejandro Grimaldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Jonathan David doubled Atletico’s lead.

Antonio Rudiger headed home a late free-kick to offer a glimmer of hope, but the hosts held on in front of a raucous crowd.

Despite the setback, Mourinho insisted his squad will continue to fight for domestic glory if they are treated fairly.

Addressing the gap at the top of the table, Mourinho told reporters:

“If they just leave us in peace and let us compete on a level playing field with everyone else, we’ve still got a long way to go.”

With Real Madrid’s rebuilding process in its early stages, the manager must quickly find solutions to their defensive vulnerabilities.