José Mourinho hits out at referee after Real Madrid’s 1-2 derby loss | OneFootball

José Mourinho launched a furious attack on the officiating after Real Madrid’s 1-2 defeat at Atlético de Madrid on Sunday, arguing two clear red cards were missed and focusing his ire on referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias.

According to L'Équipe, he arrived at his press conference with screenshots of the incidents, a high challenge by Cristian Romero on Jude Bellingham on 38 minutes that brought only a yellow, and a stamp by Kang-in Lee on Federico Valverde on 44 minutes that went unpunished.

He said only the referees’ appointment committee would be pleased and described the night as strange, beginning with the unusual early revelation of the referee a week before kick-off, when he said appointments are normally made 24 hours out.

He then criticised Ortiz Arias, 41 and not an international, suggesting that status may reflect his level, and claimed the official struggled with the intense pressure, which he likened to the 1980s. Ortiz Arias has never overseen a European match and was refereeing Real Madrid in La Liga for the first time.

Mourinho also turned on VAR official Daniel Jesus Trujillo Suarez, alleging a past against Real Madrid in his assistant VAR role. He cited the games against Osasuna, 1-0, and Girona, 1-1, as examples he believed had harmed his team.

Source: L'Équipe

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