Atletico Hit Back at Mourinho After Referee Rant

Atletico Madrid have hit back at Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho following his strong criticism of referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias after Sunday’s Madrid derby.

Atletico defeated their city rivals 2-1 at the Metropolitano, with Alejandro Grimaldo and Jonathan David scoring for Diego Simeone’s side, while Antonio Rudiger pulled one back for Real Madrid late in the game.

However, the result was overshadowed by Mourinho’s post-match reaction to several controversial decisions.

The Real Madrid manager arrived at his press conference carrying printed images of two incidents involving Atletico players that he believed should have resulted in red cards.

Mourinho pointed to challenges involving Cristian Romero and Lee Kang-in, insisting both incidents warranted dismissals.

He argued that Real Madrid could have faced Atletico with nine players rather than 10 in the second half had the decisions gone differently.

Atletico responded on Monday through their official social media account, posting an image of Mourinho holding the screenshots during his press conference alongside the message: “Stop referee harassment now.”

The post came after Simeone had also addressed Mourinho’s complaints, calling for managers to show greater respect when discussing referees and fellow coaches.

Simeone acknowledged the scrutiny surrounding high-profile managers but said there were limits to what could be said publicly about officials.

He also rejected the idea of continuing to dwell on the disputed incidents, noting that the refereeing decisions had already been made and that Atletico had won the match.

The controversy began after Lee Kang-in escaped punishment for a challenge on Federico Valverde, who later underwent medical tests after suffering an ankle injury.

Romero was also booked rather than sent off following an incident involving Jude Bellingham, despite the referee reviewing the challenge on the pitchside monitor.

Real Madrid later described the officiating as a major factor in the derby defeat.

Atletico, meanwhile, secured three points that moved them to second place in LaLiga, while Real Madrid dropped to fourth.

The latest exchange adds further tension to one of Spanish football’s most closely watched rivalries, with both clubs now preparing for the next phase of the season after the international break.