Real Madrid manager José Mourinho arrived at his post-match news conference with a printed A4 sheet showing two incidents he believed should have resulted in Atletico Madrid players being sent off during their 2-1 derby defeat.
Mourinho accused the match officials of making key errors after Real Madrid suffered their second defeat of the season, arguing that Atletico should have received two red cards in the first half.
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“We can skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here,” Mourinho said while showing reporters the printed images.
“Those were two clear red cards. Given the difficulties we faced afterwards playing 11 against 10, we can only imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against nine would have been like.”
The first incident Mourinho highlighted involved Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham and Atletico defender Cristian Romero in the 37th minute.
Bellingham was initially shown a yellow card following the challenge, but the decision was reviewed by VAR and his booking was overturned. Romero was subsequently shown a yellow card after replays showed his studs making contact with Bellingham’s knee.
Mourinho also pointed to a challenge by Atletico’s Lee Kang-in on Federico Valverde, which he believed warranted a straight red card.
The Real Madrid manager questioned the decisions but said he preferred to believe the officials had made mistakes rather than acted deliberately.
“I want to believe they are simply mistakes, just as a coach makes mistakes, just as a player makes mistakes,” Mourinho said.
Despite the defeat, Mourinho praised his players for their commitment and performance, particularly during the first half.
“I liked my team as a unit. Even in the first half I really liked them, and in the second half it was obviously very difficult to get the ball and to stop Atleti’s possession,” he said.
“I liked their pride, I liked their determination, and it’s a good feeling for me to not be disappointed in my players.”
Mourinho also addressed defender Dean Huijsen’s dismissal, which resulted in a penalty for Atletico, although he said he had not yet watched the relevant VAR replay.
Atletico manager Diego Simeone, meanwhile, defended his team’s performance and said the derby should not be defined by the refereeing controversy.
“I understand that we’re in a privileged position with a lot of public scrutiny, as coaches, and whether it’s Mourinho, [Hansi] Flick, [Manuel] Pellegrini, me, or anyone else, we need to be careful about what we say,” Simeone said.
“We have to know how to respect others, the referees, our colleagues and we all lose out. And when someone crosses that line of respect, it’s not right.”
Simeone insisted Atletico controlled the match through their defensive organisation and collective effort.
“The match I watched was an intense one, where I think we controlled it at all times,” he said.
“We faced an opponent with incredible transitions and extraordinary players who obviously play for their team and do so very well. We controlled almost all the transitions they could have had.”
The defeat leaves Real Madrid fourth in the league standings, while Atletico are second, five points behind leaders Barcelona.
Mourinho remained confident that the result would not define Real Madrid’s season, stressing that there was still plenty of football to be played.
“Under normal circumstances, it’s not about how it starts, it’s about how it ends,” he said.
La Liga will resume on Friday, 9 October, following the international break.