▲ Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho shows printed photos of Lee Kang-in's foul.
Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho unleashed sharp criticism against the referee and the video assistant referee (VAR) following his team's defeat in the Madrid derby in Spain's La Liga.
Real Madrid suffered a 1-2 away defeat to Atletico Madrid in the 7th round of the 2026-2027 La Liga season held at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano in Madrid, Spain, yesterday (September 20, local time), hampered by a red card.
During the post-match official press conference, Mourinho held up two printed photos to air his grievances regarding the officiating.
Mourinho focused on two incidents: Atletico's Cristian Romero stepping on Jude Bellingham's knee in the first half resulting in only a yellow card instead of a red, and Lee Kang-in's tackle toward Federico Valverde's ankle, which drew only a foul without a yellow card.
"Here are the moments that decided the flow of the match," Mourinho said. "Both situations were clear red card offenses."
Expressing his anger, he asked, "Imagine how the game would have been if we had played 50 minutes against nine men with two of their players sent off, when it was already difficult playing with 10 men."
He went on to criticize, "I don't know why a referee who is 41 years old and lacks even international match experience was assigned to this game. He couldn't handle the pressure."
He continued his scathing remarks, saying, "It was a combination of an incompetent referee who has only handled minor matches and a VAR official with a history of numerous wrong decisions. The ones who must be happy with today's result are Atletico fans and the referee appointment committee."
Immediately after the match, Real Madrid also announced, "Valverde suffered severe damage to his left ankle from Lee Kang-in's tackle and will undergo additional detailed medical examinations."
On the other hand, Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone kept his response brief regarding Mourinho's remarks, stating, "I always respect other people's opinions. People like Mourinho and myself must speak carefully and stay within the limits."
(Photo: Capture from AS TV, Yonhap News)
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