Sports · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
José Mourinho Arrives With Printed Red Card Screenshots After Real Madrid’s 2-1 Loss to Atlético
Mourinho arrived with printed photos alleging two Atlético incidents deserved red cards. Real Madrid lost 2-1 at Atlético; Mourinho criticized refereeing and VAR.
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Derby ends 2-1
Real Madrid lost 2-1 to Atlético de Madrid in the Madrid derby at the Metropolitano, and José Mourinho arrived at the post-match news conference carrying an A4 sheet of printed paper with screenshots of two incidents he believed should have resulted in Atletico dismissals. Mourinho said the incidents were “two clear red cards” and argued that the match should have been 11 against 9 for 50 minutes rather than 11 against 10.
Dean Huijsen was sent off in the 52nd minute, and Atlético scored in the 53rd and 59th minutes to move past Real Madrid in the standings. Diego Simeone said he was “ecstatic with the result” and rejected the idea that the refereeing debate should overshadow what he described as an intense match that Atlético controlled at all times.
Mourinho vs Simeone
José Mourinho told reporters, “We can skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here,” as he showed the printed images of the two incidents. José Mourinho also said, “I want to believe they are simply mistakes, just as a coach makes mistakes, just as a player makes mistakes,” while he questioned the appointment of the match officials and the VAR decisions.
Diego Simeone responded by saying, “We have to know how to respect others, the referees, our colleagues and we all lose out,” when asked to respond to Mourinho’s refereeing rant. Diego Simeone added, “The match I watched was an intense one, where I think we controlled it at all times,” and he described Atlético’s defensive organisation and collective effort against Real Madrid’s transitions.
League table and next
The defeat left Real Madrid fourth in the league standings, with Atlético second and five points behind league leaders Barcelona, and La Liga was set to resume on Friday 9 October following the international break. Mourinho said, “Under normal circumstances, it's not about how it starts, it's about how it ends,” while he stressed that there was still a long way to go in the season.
“La Liga will resume on Friday 9 October following the international break.”
The match also left Real Madrid with a six-point gap to Barcelona in La Liga, and the result neutralized Rüdiger’s late header in the 89th minute. Diego Simeone said Atlético controlled the transitions Real Madrid could have had, and he described the derby as an intense match shaped by teamwork, defence, and group dynamics.