Diego Simeone warned Jose Mourinho about respect after Atletico Madrid’s 2-1 derby win over Real Madrid, following Mourinho’s furious referee rant
Diego Simeone has warned Jose Mourinho about crossing the line with his criticism after Atletico Madrid defeated Real Madrid 2-1 in Sunday’s fiery Madrid derby.
The Atletico boss acknowledged that managers are entitled to express their opinions but insisted that criticism of officials must be delivered with caution and respect.
Simeone responds to Mourinho rant
Mourinho was furious with the refereeing at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, arriving at his post-match press conference with a sheet of paper containing images of two controversial first-half tackles.
Real Madrid were unhappy that Atletico defender Cristian Romero was not sent off for a stamp on Jude Bellingham, while they also complained about Lee Kang-in’s challenge on Federico Valverde.
“We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here,” Mourinho said while holding up the images.
“Those were two clear red cards. The difficulties we’ve faced since the sending-off. 11 against 10. Well, we can imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against 9 would have been like if justice had been done.”
Mourinho also criticised referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias and those responsible for his appointment, while praising his players for their first-half performance.
Atletico boss calls for respect
Simeone did not directly name Mourinho when responding to the Portuguese manager’s comments, but his message was clear.
“We respect other people’s opinions. We are in a privileged position and yet always in the public eye — whether it’s Simeone, Mourinho, Flick, or Pellegrini. We need to speak cautiously and know how to show respect,” the Atletico boss said.
“We all lose sometimes. But crossing that line of respect is dangerous— whether it’s Mourinho, Flick, or Simeone. Not everything is permissible. You must never cross that line.”
The match itself had already provided plenty of controversy. Real Madrid were reduced to 10 men when Dean Huijsen was dismissed for bringing down Giuliano Simeone inside the area. Alejandro Grimaldo converted the resulting penalty before Jonathan David doubled Atletico’s lead, while Antonio Ruediger pulled one back late in the game.
Simeone’s warning comes as another chapter in the long-running rivalry between two managers known for their outspoken personalities, with the Atletico boss making clear that frustration after a defeat cannot come at the expense of respect.