Mourinho holds up two images to condemn referees: A dark night at Metropolitano and two red cards ignored

Jose Mourinho walked into the press conference room with two printed images, placing them neatly on the table. He did not sit down quickly, did not wait for the first question, just raised one of them toward the row of cameras. "We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," the Portuguese coach began, in a near five-minute monologue. The first image was the incident between Cristian Romero and Jude Bellingham. The second was Lee Kang-in's challenge on Federico Valverde. Mourinho called them two clear red cards, saying that if the referee had acted correctly, Real Madrid would not have had to play more than a half with a numerical disadvantage. Real Madrid had just endured a dark night at the Metropolitano. Atletico won 2-1, with a penalty scored by Alejandro Grimaldo after Dean Huijsen fouled Giuliano Simeone, and then Jonathan David added the second six minutes later. Antonio Rudiger headed in a late goal to reduce the deficit, but it was not enough. The result left Mourinho's side six points behind Barcelona in the title race. Yet at the press conference table, all numbers were pushed aside. The only story was the officiating. Real Madrid later released an official statement saying the defeat was "marked by poor officiating." They pointed to two incidents. In the 35th minute, during a contested ball, Bellingham reached the ball first, and Romero planted his studs into the Englishman's left knee. Main referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias initially booked Bellingham, but after assistant Trujillo Suarez called him to review the incident on the monitor, he rescinded Bellingham's card and instead gave Romero a yellow. Real Madrid's report insisted it should have been a red card, because the ball was under Bellingham's control and Romero deliberately stamped on the opponent's knee. Nine minutes later, Lee Kang-in stamped on Valverde's left ankle. Ortiz Arias was close to the incident but showed no card, not even a yellow. This time, VAR official Trujillo Suarez also did not intervene. Mourinho said: "The difficulties we've faced since the sending-off - 11 against 10 - well, we can imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against nine would have been like if justice had been done." That sentence captured all the frustration of one of modern football's most outspoken coaches. But Mourinho did not stop at the incidents. He praised his players: "I could only hug my players." According to him, Real Madrid's first half was "full of class and great character." What he could not accept was that a 41-year-old referee with no international experience was assigned to the derby. "It's certainly not because he's a great referee. Then the poor chap has come here and hasn't been able to cope with the pressure - and it really is intense pressure. I call it '80s-style pressure' here in this stadium, which you hardly ever see these days." One could not help but recall Mourinho's classic referee rants in the past, but tonight he had far more concrete reasons. Asked about being six points behind Barcelona, Mourinho offered a pointed reply: "If they just leave us in peace and let us compete on a level playing field with everyone else, we've still got a long way to go. I don't want to go so far as to say this was set up... I want to believe that they simply made a mistake." The phrase "I want to believe" was both a soft threat and a way to send a message to La Liga organizers and the refereeing committee: if mistakes continue, he will not hesitate to speak out. Real Madrid understood that a defeat against their biggest rival could not be changed by complaints alone. The club chose to release an official report, written almost like an appeal to the federation. They listed every minute, every decision, every person involved. This shows that the Spanish capital club does not want the matter to fade away. They want to put pressure on the refereeing system before the final stretch of the title race, where one mistake can destroy an entire season's efforts. But beyond the refereeing debate, Real Madrid's performance must also be examined. Dean Huijsen was sent off in the second half for pulling down Giuliano Simeone inside the area. That was a simple, uncontested decision. The young defender's foul left the visitors with ten men, and Atletico made the most of their numerical advantage. Jonathan David scored to make it 2-0, putting the match out of doubt. After Rudiger pulled one back, Real Madrid had around ten minutes left, but they failed to create any real chances. They had more possession, but sharpness in front of goal was missing. If we only look at the Romero and Lee Kang-in incidents, fans might forget that Real Madrid actually played with fewer men for over 40 minutes, not more. That is what makes everything more complicated. Mourinho could say that if the first two decisions had been correct, Atletico would have been down to nine and the second half would have been completely different. But football does not operate on the logic of "if." Any team can face injustice, but what makes champions is how they overcome that injustice. Let us set aside Mourinho's anger for a moment. Let us ask why Ortiz Arias - a 41-year-old referee with no international matches - was entrusted with the most intense fixture of the season. In a league as big as La Liga, referee appointments cannot be based solely on rotation. There must be consideration of experience, composure, and the ability to handle pressure. The Madrid derby is always one of the fiercest matches in Europe. The pressure from more than 60,000 fans, from the media, from both dressing rooms, is not something everyone can withstand. Mourinho's description of "80s-style pressure" recalls an era when referees were frequently at the center of controversy, but football then depended far less on VAR. Today, VAR was created to reduce errors, but the use of VAR itself has generated more new controversies. What happens next? For Real Madrid, important domestic and European matches lie ahead. If they allow this defeat to haunt them, they could lose their rhythm. But such volatile moments are often the ones a writer like me treasures most. I do not write about football; I write about the people who wear the shirts. And tonight, those people had to face an opponent even more unpleasant than Atletico: the feeling of being wronged. One could say that Mourinho turned the press conference into a political stage. But for the players in the dressing room, it may be a powerful mental tonic. When a coach is willing to stand in the firing line, absorb all criticism, and protect the team, players tend to fight with total commitment. Mourinho knows this better than anyone. He has used the "us against the world" tactic at several clubs, and it has brought him trophies, but it has also cost him jobs. In reality, Real Madrid do not need a war with the referees. They need points. A six-point gap to Barcelona is not a death sentence, but it requires them not to slip again. If Real keep focusing on officiating instead of improving their attacking output, they may soon realize that their biggest enemy is not the referee. Outside, after the derby, Madrid will split into two sides of argument. But in small bars, in parking garages, football does not need a big screen; it whispers through car horns and cigarette smoke. People are not talking about VAR; they are talking about the feeling of justice. And that feeling is being wounded. From the training ground to the empty stands, I have counted the heartbeat of a team through mud-stained boots. Tonight, Real Madrid's heartbeat was racing in anger. But football has no pity for those who only look back. The most important question is not "was the referee wrong?" but "what will Real Madrid do with that feeling?" Mourinho wants to believe that a mistake is just a mistake. Madrid fans want to believe the title is still within reach. As for the team itself, they must prove it with actions on the pitch, where the final whistle is not the last word.