Jose Mourinho Displays Printed Photos to Protest Refereeing After Real Madrid's Derby Loss

Jose Mourinho took an unusual approach to express his frustration after Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat by Atletico Madrid in the Madrid derby, which widened the gap in LaLiga standings behind leaders Barcelona.

The Real Madrid manager printed out images highlighting moments he believed should have resulted in red cards against Atletico players during the first half. Mourinho argued that Diego Simeone's team could have been reduced to nine men, dramatically changing the game's course.

Mourinho's Reaction and Team Praise

Following the loss, Mourinho held up the pictures to underline his point, stating, "We can skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here." He insisted the two incidents were clear red card offenses and reflected on how playing with one man fewer affected the match. "Given the difficulties we faced afterwards playing 11 against 10, we can only imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against nine would have been like," he said.

Despite his anger, Mourinho showed respect for his squad's effort. He said, "I'll just have to limit myself to hugging my players, who gave it their all and played a first half showing great class and character, setting us up perfectly to win the second half." He also expressed hope that the referee errors were unintentional, adding, "I want to believe they are simply mistakes, just as a coach makes mistakes, just as a player makes mistakes." Mourinho complimented his team's unity and spirit, noting how tough the second half was but praising their pride and determination.

Simeone Calls for Respect Among Coaches

After the game, Diego Simeone declined to engage in a confrontation over Mourinho's complaints. He emphasized the responsibility coaches have to maintain respect under public scrutiny. "Whether it's Mourinho, [Hansi] Flick, [Manuel] Pellegrini, me, or anyone else, we need to be careful about what we say," Simeone remarked. "We have to know how to respect others, the referees, our colleagues, and we all lose out. When someone crosses that line of respect, it’s not right - you can't cross that line."

• Match Result: Real Madrid 1 - 2 Atletico Madrid
• Date: September 21, 2026
• LaLiga Standings Impact: Real Madrid trails Barcelona by six points