Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho launched a sharp attack on the derby referee, Ortiz Arias, and the Spanish referees committee, during the press conference he held after the match. The Portuguese coach used two printed photographs to document what he described as “violent interventions” that required the expulsion of two Atletico Madrid players.
Mourinho explained that the first half witnessed two clear situations that required a red card. The first was a violent intervention by Atletico defender, Christian Romero, on the knee of Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham, and the referee, after reviewing the video technology, merely warned him. The second case occurred a few minutes later when Atletico player Lee Kang-in ran over the leg of Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde with the sole of his shoe, while the refereeing crew was continuing to play.
The Portuguese coach expressed his anger, saying: “The two cases were clear and required expulsion, and we were supposed to play with 11 players against 9 from Atletico for 50 minutes, but in the end we played incompletely after our defender Dean Howeson was sent off for his involvement in a penalty kick that was denied to the opponent alone.”
Mourinho’s attack was not limited to the events of the match, but rather extended to the referee appointment committee, where he said critically: “This referee lacks the necessary experience to manage the derby match. He is a bad referee, and he is 41 years old and has only refereed small matches. I congratulate the referee committee for its decision to appoint him.”
Mourinho concluded his statements by asking a sarcastic question about the integrity of the competition, saying: “I thought the atmosphere of the Spanish League had changed since my departure in 2013, but I was wrong… Has Negrera gone or is he still here?”, in a clear reference to Jose Negrera, the former vice-president of the referees’ committee accused of receiving money from FC Barcelona in exchange for providing arbitration facilities.
