Derby Refereeing Controversy
Atlético Madrid defeats Real Madrid in derby as refereeing committee confirms major errors
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Key Points
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Atlético’s goals were scored by Alejandro Grimaldo and Jonathan David, with the winning goal coming from a second-half penalty at the Metropolitano Stadium.
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Huijsen was sent off in the 52nd minute after holding Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area, with Atlético subsequently awarded the penalty that put them ahead.
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Mourinho said he wanted to “embrace” his players, praising their first-half performance as being “at the highest level” and attributing the later difficulty to Huijsen’s dismissal.
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The challenge by Kang-in Lee reportedly left Federico Valverde with an ankle injury that was expected to keep the Real Madrid midfielder out for three weeks, according to The Athletic’s Guillermo Rai.
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Mourinho also criticized the referee’s appointment, arguing that Ortiz Arias lacked the experience and international background to handle a match of the derby’s magnitude.
Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the Madrid derby, climbing to second place in La Liga while Real dropped to third, six points behind Barcelona after seven matches. Goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Jonathan David secured the victory at the Metropolitano Stadium, but the match sparked a major refereeing controversy. KARK Real Madrid manager José Mourinho brought printed photos of disputed challenges to his post-match press conference, arguing that Atlético players Cuti Romero and Kang-in Lee should have been sent off, leaving Real at a disadvantage.
Spain's refereeing technical committee later backed Mourinho's complaints, agreeing that both Romero and Lee committed red-card offenses. The committee also said VAR should have stopped Lee's ankle-breaking tackle on Federico Valverde. The Athletic reported that Valverde faces three weeks on the sidelines with an ankle injury from Lee's studs-first challenge.
How the Controversial Huijsen Dismissal Changed Everything
Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen was sent off in the 52nd minute after holding back Atlético's Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area. The referee judged it a clear goalscoring opportunity and issued a straight red card. Atlético converted the resulting penalty, with Grimaldo scoring to make it 1-0.
The technical committee endorsed Huijsen's dismissal as correct. But Mourinho argued that Real Madrid faced an uphill battle playing 10 men for the final 38 minutes. KARK He said: "We could only imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against nine would have been like." Real Madrid's official report called the officiating "catastrophic" and claimed the dismissal left the team tactically broken.
Two Unpunished Red Cards That Changed the Match
In the 35th minute, Atlético's Cuti Romero caught Jude Bellingham with a studs-up challenge on the knee. Referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias initially booked Bellingham. VAR official Daniel Jesús Trujillo corrected him at the monitor, and Ortiz rescinded Bellingham's card and gave Romero a yellow instead. The technical committee later said Romero's challenge was a clear red-card offense.
Moments before halftime, Atlético midfielder Kang-in Lee tackled Federico Valverde studs-first on the ankle. No card was shown and VAR did not intervene. The Athletic Valverde suffered an ankle injury expected to sideline him for three weeks. The technical committee agreed Lee should have received a red card and VAR should have intervened.
Mourinho Defends His Players While Blaming Official Selection
Mourinho stopped short of accusing the referees of deliberate bias but criticized the appointment itself. He said 41-year-old Ortiz Arias lacked the international experience to handle a match of the derby's magnitude. Mourinho praised his own players, saying he wanted to "embrace" them for their first-half performance "at the highest level."
Real Madrid's official statement defended the team's tactics and blamed officiating for the loss. Lente Desportiva reported that Real Madrid's formal report called the performance "dreadful." Mourinho acknowledged that Huijsen's dismissal was a turning point, but framed it as the moment the match became unwinnable.
Atlético Responds With Social Media Campaign Against Referee Harassment
Atlético Madrid fired back at Mourinho's complaints on social media. The club launched a video campaign tagged Stop Referee Harassment Now (or **#StopAcosoArbitralYA** in Spanish), featuring images of Mourinho's press conference. Get Football News Spain Atlético framed Real Madrid's response as public intimidation of officials rather than legitimate criticism.
The dispute highlights the deeper tension between top clubs and referees in La Liga. Real Madrid's formal protest and Mourinho's visual evidence strategy echo his past behavior at Chelsea, Roma, and Fenerbahçe. Mourinho now faces potential disciplinary fines or a touchline ban from La Liga for his comments about referee selection and the match's officiating standard.
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