'Poor referee': Mourinho slams La Liga officials after derby defeat
What's the story
Real Madrid's head coach, Jose Mourinho, has launched a scathing attack on the officiating in La Liga. The manager was particularly critical of referee Ortiz Arias and VAR official Daniel Trujillo after his team's recent defeat to Atletico Madrid. He called Arias a "poor referee" and accused Trujillo of having a rich and tremendous history with Madrid.
Officiating concerns
Mourinho questions red card decisions
Mourinho was particularly upset about two potential red card incidents involving his players, Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde. "They are two clear red cards," he said after Real's defeat against their city rivals.
The manager defended his team's performance in the first half despite being a man down due to these controversial decisions.
He also questioned the timing of referee appointments and their experience levels.
Team defense
Praise for players amid adversity
Despite the controversial officiating, Mourinho praised his players for their determination in the face of adversity.
He said, "My players leave sad but with their coach's embrace."
The manager also highlighted specific incidents like Yan Diomande's first yellow card and Huijsen's sending-off that he felt were unfair to his team.
Official integrity
Mourinho takes dig at La Liga committee
Mourinho didn't mince words in questioning the integrity of La Liga officials.
He said, "I don't want to say this was set up, I want to believe they make mistakes."
The manager also took a dig at the Committee for appointing an inexperienced referee and one with a history against Real Madrid.
"The Committee made a mistake by appointing one who is 41 years old and another who has a history against Real Madrid... Things happen in this stadium that are not normal. The disallowed goal against Osasuna is a joke, what happened in San Sebastián," added Mourinho.
Information
2nd defeat of the season for Mourinho
In terms of the points table, Atletico are 2nd and are five points behind Barcelona. Atletico own 16 points from 7 matches (W5 D1 L1). Meanwhile, Real own 5 wins and 2 defeats from 7 matches (15 points).