Jose Mourinho Criticizes Referees with Printed Evidence After Real Madrid's Derby Loss

Jose Mourinho, the manager of Real Madrid, expressed his anger by presenting printed images of key refereeing moments after his team lost 2-1 to their city rivals, Atletico Madrid. This defeat puts Real Madrid six points behind league leaders Barcelona in the LaLiga title race.

Mourinho claimed that Atletico Madrid could have been reduced to nine men during the first half, insisting that two clear red cards were missed. He said, "We can skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," as he held up sheets displaying screenshots of the incidents he found unfair.

He added, "Those were two clear red cards. Given the difficulties we faced afterwards playing 11 against 10, we can only imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against nine would have been like."

The pressure on Mourinho has grown following a previous 1-0 loss to Real Betis earlier in September, leaving Real Madrid trailing Barcelona by six points at the top.

Mourinho Praises His Players Despite Setbacks

Despite his frustration with the officials, Mourinho praised his players' effort and spirit during the match. "I'll just have to limit myself to hugging my players, who gave it their all and played a first half, showed great class and character, setting us up perfectly to win the second half," he said.

He also expressed hope that the referee errors were unintentional, saying, "I want to believe they are simply mistakes, just as a coach makes mistakes, just as a player makes mistakes." Mourinho appreciated his team’s unity and pride despite the tough conditions, noting how difficult it became in the second half to regain possession from Atletico.

Diego Simeone Calls for Respect Among Coaches

Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid's coach, responded calmly after the game and avoided escalating the dispute. He emphasized the importance of respect among managers and officials, stating, "We have to know how to respect others, the referees, our colleagues and we all lose out. And when someone crosses that line of respect, it’s not right - you can’t cross that line." Simeone reminded everyone that coaches hold a public position and should be cautious with their words.