Jose Mourinho has lashed out at the referee following Real Madrid’s 2-1 loss against city rivals Atletico Madrid.
Mourinho says referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias has no experience to officiate a match of this importance.
Real Madrid were hoping to build on their 3-2 win against Elche in midweek but Diego Simeone’s men had other ideas.
Following a lukewarm first half that ended in a goalless draw, Los Blancos went down to ten men after defender Dean Huijsen was shown a red card in the 52nd minute.
Alejandro Grimaldo put the hosts ahead from the penalty spot a minute later before Canada international doubled their advantage midway through the second half.
Mourinho was not happy with the referee before the game as he questioned why his identity was known two weeks before the game.
The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager also accused the Spanish referee of not having the wherewithal to oversee such a game.
“We could save ourselves the press conference. Here they are [shows photos of the possible red cards], two clear reds,” Mourinho told reporters after the game.
“It would have been 50 minutes of eleven against nine. All I can do is hug my players, who gave everything, who produced a first half full of class and personality. I prepared yesterday’s match so we could win it in the second half.
The one who should be happy is the Refereeing Appointments Committee because the whole thing was very strange.
A week in advance, they already knew who the referee would be, when it used to be 24 hours before. A 41-year-old referee, who has never been an international, who won’t be top level. The poor guy came here and couldn’t handle the pressure. The pressure here is like something out of the 1980s.
Trujillo, the VAR official, called him over for the first red and didn’t call him over for the second, which was even clearer. This Trujillo has a history with Real Madrid: last year in the Copa final, Osasuna, Girona…
If the poor referee has no experience, no stature for a derby, then this man is either under no pressure in Las Rozas, or under a kind of pressure we know nothing about. I would have liked to leave here with the win or without having to speak.
I arrived here three months ago and you know I’m not usually one to go in this direction. Two reds against Elche and we won. Two reds today, that’s already more difficult. It’s a referee with only small matches behind him and a VAR official who has a history. Congratulations to the Refereeing Appointments Committee.”
Real Madrid have lost twice and won five games in their first seven league games.
