Jose Mourinho has strongly criticised referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Daniel Jesus Trujillo Suarez and the Liga refereeing committee after his sides combustible 2-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid on Sunday. After holding up photos of challenges between Madrids Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde and Atletis Cristian Romero and Lee Kang-in, Mourinho said he had not reviewed Dean Huijsens second-half red card for pulling back Giuliano Simeone, which resulted in Alejandro Grimaldo scoring a penalty before Jonathan David added the hosts second in their 2-0 win.Mourinho alleged that the circumstances surrounding the referees appointment had been wrong and suggested the VAR official had a history of poor decisions against Madrid.Arias is in his seventh season as a Liga official and is the first from Madrid to have overseen the game, according to Marca. The outlet, who named him as their best referee of the 2021/22 season, said he is a PE teacher.Table of ContentsWhat Jose Mourinho said about referees after Atleti vs MadridAtletico vs Real Madrid: Mourinho wants peaceWhat Jose Mourinho said about referees after Atleti vs MadridIt was all very strange, Mourinho said (via Madrid). The first thing is that a week before the match, it was already known who the referee would be when, as Ive been told, it should be announced 24 hours before.A week before, it was already known who the referee was. Then, its a 41-year-old referee who isnt even international, and its not because hes a great referee.The poor guy came here and couldnt handle the pressure, which I call the pressure of the 80s something you rarely see today. Then theres Mr Trujillo, who was on VAR he has a very complete history as a VAR in Real Madrid matches.Last season alone, there was the Real Sociedad match in the Copa del Rey, and then there [were games against] Osasuna and Girona.This is a VAR with a lot of history. This combination: a poor referee who has only officiated small games and a VAR official with a long history.Congratulations to the referee appointment committee.Atletico vs Real Madrid: Mourinho wants peaceMadrids second defeat of Mourinhos second spell in charge both of which have come across their last three away matches in La Liga has left them fourth after seven league games, six points behind leaders Barcelona.If they leave us alone, in peace and let us compete on equal terms with everyone, theres still a long way to go, Mourinho said of his complaints in the context of a potential title challenge.I dont want to go too far and say this was prepared. I dont want to think that. I want to think they simply made mistakes. Just as a coach or a player can make mistakes, I want to think the referee committee made mistakes.Poor people they made mistakes, sending someone whos 41 years old and has never been in a situation like this, alongside someone else with a very rich history against Real Madrid. Topics Atletico Madrid Jose Mourinho Kylian Mbapp Kylian Mbappe LaLiga Real Madrid CF Vinicius Junior Yan Diomande Add us as a preferred source on Google If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Atletico v Real Madrid as it happened: Stats and updates as Blancos are beaten Jon Fisher 20th September, 2026 Atletico 2-1 Real Madrid: Report, result, goals as hosts go second in La Liga Ben Miller 20th September, 2026 Atletico vs Real Madrid: David puts hosts 2-0 ahead after Huijsen red card Ben Miller 20th September, 2026 Atletico vs Real Madrid: Confirmed teams, full line ups in La Liga Ben Miller 20th September, 2026 Sevilla v Barcelona: Confirmed team news and line-ups Lauren Lister 19th September, 2026 Atletico Madrid v Real Madrid: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch Jon Fisher 19th September, 2026
