Mourinho blasts referee and VAR after Real Madrid’s 2-1 loss at Atletico

José Mourinho expressed frustration with the refereeing after Real Madrid suffered a 2-1 loss to Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league. The loss came during a match where Madrid played with 10 men for nearly the entire second half after Dean Huijsen was sent off in the 52nd minute. Mourinho took photos of the match to a post-game press conference, alleging that two clear red cards were not shown to Atletico players.

He lamented the difficulties his team faced playing with one man fewer and suggested the result would have been different if Madrid had had 11 men. Mourinho also criticized the referee, referring to him as "a poor referee" and questioning his lack of international experience. Mourinho further criticized the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for how it handled the two red cards, citing previous incidents involving the same VAR official in Real Madrid matches.

Mourinho concluded by praising the referees' committee and lamenting the combination of a "poor referee" and a "VAR official with a long history." Atletico coach Diego Simeone called for respect from all coaches following Mourinho's comments.