Mourinho Enters Real Madrid Press Conference With Shocking Evidence and Attacks Referee and VAR
Real Madrid’s defeat to Atletico Madrid was not simply another loss in the Madrid derby, as the match quickly turned into one of the most controversial nights of Jose Mourinho’s return to the Spanish capital. The Portuguese coach did not wait for the post-match press conference to unfold normally. Instead, he arrived carrying something he wanted everyone to see before explaining what he believed were the incidents that changed the entire match.
Mourinho believed several decisions could have completely changed the outcome, especially after Real Madrid were forced to play most of the second half with 10 men. After the final whistle, the coach went beyond criticizing the referee and also questioned the way VAR handled the controversial incidents.
During the press conference, Mourinho produced printed photographs of two incidents in which he believed Atletico Madrid players should have been sent off, arguing that those moments were a crucial part of the story of the match.
The first incident came in the 37th minute when Jude Bellingham collided with Atletico defender Cristian Romero. Bellingham was initially shown a yellow card, before VAR intervened, overturned the booking and instead showed Romero a yellow card. Mourinho believed the challenge deserved a red card.
The second incident involved Lee Kang-in’s challenge on Federico Valverde, another moment Mourinho believed warranted a straight red card. After the match, Spain’s refereeing technical committee said the challenge should have resulted in a red card, while also confirming the validity of Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen’s dismissal.
Huijsen was sent off in the 52nd minute following a VAR review after he was judged to have pulled Giuliano Simeone’s arm inside the penalty area. Just one minute later, Atletico took advantage of their numerical superiority as Alejandro Grimaldo converted the resulting penalty. Jonathan David then made it 2-0 in the 59th minute before Antonio Rudiger pulled one back late for Real Madrid.
Mourinho’s frustration did not stop with the individual refereeing decisions. He also questioned the appointment of referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias for the derby and criticized the VAR official, referring to what he described as a previous history of controversial decisions involving Real Madrid.
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone responded by calling for respect when coaches criticize officials and opponents, saying that everyone loses sometimes but that there should still be a line of respect that cannot be crossed.
As a result, the Madrid derby did not truly end with the final whistle. Instead, another confrontation began away from the pitch, with Mourinho putting the referee and VAR at the center of the discussion surrounding Real Madrid’s defeat to their city rivals.
Jose Mourinho began his press conference with pictures of two fouls committed by Atleti players that he says should have been red cards. pic.twitter.com/JfP6tn1SEC
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 20, 2026
🚨🇪🇸 JONATHAN DAVID DOUBLES THE LEAD FOR ATLETICO MADRID! 🤯
Atlético Madrid 2-0 Real Madrid.pic.twitter.com/rNFuL5I7pv
— Tekkers Foot (@tekkersfoot) September 20, 2026
