Atletico Madrid slams Jose Mourinho's derby red card rant: Details
What's the story
Atletico Madrid has hit back at Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho's criticism of officiating in their recent derby clash. The match, which ended in a 2-1 defeat for Real, saw Mourinho present two instances he believed warranted red cards for Atletico players. In response, Atletico Madrid posted a video and image on their social media account with the hashtag '#StopAcosoArbitalYA,' meaning "stop referee harassment now."
Match controversy
Mourinho slams officiating in derby clash
Mourinho alleged that the match officials made significant mistakes, including not sending off Atletico defender Cristian Romero for a stamp on Jude Bellingham.
He also criticized a challenge by Lee Kang-in on Federico Valverde.
In retaliation, Atletico Madrid shared a video of paper being printed with the words '#StopAcosoArbitalYA,' and an image of Mourinho at the press conference with the same message.
Officiating concerns
Real Madrid back Mourinho's claims of poor officiating
Real Madrid also issued an official match report after the game, echoing Mourinho's sentiments.
The La Liga club said the defeat was "marked by poor officiating."
They specifically called out Ortiz Arias for not sending off Romero in the first half for stepping on Bellingham's knee and Kang-In Lee for stepping on Valverde's left ankle.
Both decisions, according to Real Madrid, shaped the match outcome in favor of Atletico.
Referee scrutiny
Mourinho questions referee's experience
Mourinho also questioned the appointment of a 41-year-old referee with no international experience for such an important match.
He said, "They've put a referee, aged 41, with no international experience - it's certainly not because he's a great referee."
The Real Madrid manager further accused the official of not being able to handle the pressure of officiating at this level.
Officiating outrage
We could skip the press conference, says Mourinho
Mourinho expressed his frustration over the officiating decisions in a post-match press conference.
He said, "We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," while holding up images of two tackles he believed were clear red cards.
The Real Madrid manager also said he could only "hug" his players after what he described as a first-half "full of class and great character."