La Liga president responds to Mourinho’s refereeing complaints after Real Madrid derby defeat: ‘Unfair and cruel way of putting pressure’ | OneFootball

La Liga president Javier Tebas has weighed in on the refereeing controversy surrounding Atletico Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid, acknowledging the complaints from Jose Mourinho’s side while rejecting the manner in which they were made.

The derby produced several contentious decisions, with Real Madrid particularly unhappy over incidents involving Cristian Romero, Kang-in Lee and Dean Huijsen. 

The debate intensified after Mourinho publicly questioned the officiating, while Real Madrid also criticised referee Ortiz Arias.

Tebas says Real Madrid did not lose because of refereeing

Tebas accepted that Real Madrid had reasons to complain, but drew a clear line between understanding the frustration and agreeing with the way the club expressed it. 

Addressing the reaction after the derby, the LaLiga president said, “I understand the complaints, but never the manner in which they were made.”

More importantly, Tebas rejected the suggestion that the controversial decisions ultimately determined the result. 

After considering the major incidents from the match, he gave his assessment of their influence on the 2-1 defeat, stating, “Madrid didn’t lose because of those incidents.”

The La Liga president then addressed the decisions individually, beginning with Huijsen’s second-half dismissal. 

Javier Tebas has hit back at Real Madrid for speaking against the match referee. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

The Real Madrid defender was sent off after VAR intervention following the foul on Giuliano Simeone, and Tebas had no reservations about the decision.

“Huijsen’s was definitely a red card,” he analysed.

Tebas disagrees with Madrid over Romero and Kang-in Lee

The more controversial part of Tebas’ assessment concerned the two first-half incidents that dominated Real Madrid’s complaints.

Romero’s challenge on Jude Bellingham was reviewed by VAR after the initial decision went against the Madrid midfielder. Tebas believed the Atletico defender’s contact did not reach the threshold for a dismissal.

“The other one, no, it wasn’t a red card. You could see he got to the ball first.”

Kang-in Lee’s challenge on Federico Valverde produced a different response. The Atletico midfielder was not shown a card, and VAR did not intervene, although the CTA has since acknowledged that the challenge should have resulted in a red card.

Tebas nevertheless considered the incident open to interpretation and explained why he understood the decision made during the match.

“It could have been a red card; it might have looked like a red card, but if you give it, nothing happens. 

The CTA has admitted its mistake in the refereeing decision. (Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images)

“And if not, the play happened so quickly that I understand what happened and that’s that.”

Tebas criticises pressure on referees

The dispute then extended beyond the pitch after Atletico posted the message ‘Stop refereeing harassment now’ on social media. 

Tebas said he had not seen the post but used the opportunity to restate La Liga’s position on Real Madrid Television.

“I haven’t seen the tweet. We denounced the behaviour of Real Madrid Television some time ago and, after yesterday’s events, we must continue to uphold ethical standards. 

“It’s an unfair and cruel way of putting pressure on the referee.”

With Ortiz Arias continuing to dominate the conversation after the derby, Tebas ultimately chose not to add another personal assessment of the referee’s performance.

He concluded: “It’s others who are taking centre stage, so I’m not going to give my opinion.”

Source: AS