# Madrid derby erupts over referee decisions

> Jose Mourinho blames officials for Real Madrid's loss, Atletico Madrid fires back with accusations of harassment.
- Title: Madrid derby erupts over referee decisions · Sky Sports
- Summary: Jose Mourinho blames officials for Real Madrid's loss, Atletico Madrid fires back with accusations of harassment. After a controversial derby, Real Madrid's…
- Keywords: jose mourinho, real madrid, atletico madrid, la liga, madrid derby, referee criticism, cristian romero, jude bellingham, lee kang-in, miguel angel ortiz arias, refereeing controversy, sports
- Source: Sky Sports — https://skysports.com/football/news/12040/13590525/jose-mourinho-atletico-madrid-hit-back-at-real-madrid-boss-after-referee-criticism-following-derby-defeat
- Published: 2026-09-21T18:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: jose mourinho, real madrid, atletico madrid, la liga, madrid derby, referee criticism, cristian romero, jude bellingham, lee kang-in, miguel angel ortiz arias, refereeing controversy, sports
## Real Madrid loses heated derby
Real Madrid fell 2-1 to Atletico Madrid on Sunday in a La Liga match marred by refereeing decisions that sparked immediate controversy.
## Mourinho brings evidence to press
Jose Mourinho arrived at his post-match press conference with printed images of two incidents he believed warranted red cards for Atletico players.

> We could skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here.
## Romero stamp on Bellingham
Atletico defender Cristian Romero was not sent off for stamping on Jude Bellingham's knee, a decision Mourinho said should have been a clear red card.
## Lee Kang-in challenge ignored
Atletico's Lee Kang-in was not penalized for a challenge on Federico Valverde where he struck him with his studs on the ankle.
## Mourinho criticizes referee choice
Mourinho questioned why a 41-year-old referee with no international experience was assigned to such a high-pressure match.

> They've put a referee, aged 41, with no international experience - it's certainly not because he's a great referee.
## Real Madrid's official complaint
Real Madrid released a statement claiming the defeat was marked by poor officiating and detailed both controversial incidents in their match report.

> Real Madrid lost at the Metropolitano in a derby marked by the poor officiating of Ortiz Arias.
## Atletico hits back on social media
Atletico Madrid posted videos on X accusing Mourinho of referee harassment, using the hashtag Stop Referee Harassment Now.
## Huijsen's red card decided match
Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen was sent off for bringing down Giuliano Simeone in the area, allowing Atletico to score from the penalty spot.
## Mourinho questions fairness
When asked about being six points behind Barcelona, Mourinho suggested Real Madrid cannot compete on a level playing field and stopped short of claiming the match was deliberately set up against them.

> I don't want to go so far as to say this was set up... I want to believe that they simply made a mistake.
## Key takeaway

After a controversial derby, Real Madrid's manager publicly criticized refereeing decisions while Atletico Madrid accused him of unfairly targeting officials.