Mourinho says Kang-In Lee should have been sent off in the derby

At the Estadio Metropolitano, shortly before halftime, the crowd heard the impact sound when Kang-In Lee struck Federico Valverde's ankle with his studs. The Spanish classic between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid ended on Sunday afternoon with 2-1 to Atlético. In this contentious derby, Real coach José Mourinho sharply criticized the refereeing decisions.

Mourinho stated that the two incidents involved “clear red cards” and presented photos of the scenes as evidence. He demanded that both Lee and Cristian Romero be sent off. However, referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias and the VAR did not see any red cards.

Lee‑Foul on Valverde in the first half

In the final minutes of a goalless first half, Lee struck Valverde on the ankle with his studs, a clear, dangerous foul. Despite the obvious danger, Lee went unpunished, as neither Ortiz Arias nor the VAR deemed the action a red. According to reports, the Technical Referees Committee (CTA) of La Liga believes that Lee should have been sent off already in the first half.

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Cristian Romero's second controversial incident

Another controversial incident involved Cristian Romero, who struck Jude Bellingham at the start of the first half with his studs on the knee. Ortiz initially showed Romero a yellow card, before the VAR reviewed the scene again due to a confusion. After the review, the yellow card remained, although Mourinho had demanded a red.

Consequences and outlook of the CTA ruling

The CTA will issue a ruling on the incidents shortly and, according to AS, has already recognized that Ortiz Arias made several mistakes, with the untreated Lee foul considered the most serious. The committee apologized to Ortiz for its decision and described the situation as chaotic. Mourinho emphasized that Real Madrid could have played the entire second half with a numerical advantage, which might have altered the final result.

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The upcoming decision of the Technical Referees Committee could set clear guidelines for dangerous fouls in top derbies in the future and further fuel the debate over refereeing quality in La Liga.