Mourinho sees Real Madrid exit as expected while blaming refereeing
José Mourinho has seen his first spell at Real Madrid end as anticipated, with the fallout from the loss to Atletico Madrid dominated by accusations of biased refereeing rather than the team's performance. The coach secured his objective of leaving, but the narrative now revolves around officiating decisions.
Referee controversy overshadows performance
All the reaction to Real Madrid’s defeat to Atletico Madrid has been focused on the refereeing, with little mention of the Merengues’ display on the pitch. Early in the match, when the score was still nil‑nil, Cristian Romero and Lee Kang-in were involved in challenges that many believe should have resulted in expulsions. The complaints are not considered absurd; some observers argue that at least one of the two, especially the South Korean, could have been sent off for a foul on Fede Valverde.
These incidents have become the headline, pushing any analysis of Real’s tactical shortcomings to the background.
Mourinho shifts narrative to off‑field issues
Both the Portuguese manager and the club have steered the conversation away from on‑field matters, with Real Madrid TV even speaking of “abandoning” La Liga. Mourinho produced photographs of the contentious moments and invoked the “Negreira case” – the scandal involving Barcelona’s former referee chief – to suggest the league is “rigged” and “tramado”. He added, “If they let us compete on equal terms, we will compete.”
The self‑styled “Special One”, a nickname he first adopted twenty‑two years ago, used the controversy to mask another disappointment.
Squad depth and tactical choices under scrutiny
Real Madrid entered the season with a €225 million transfer window and six new signings, creating a squad described as one of the world’s best. Yet Mourinho has struggled to deliver results; the only victories have come in added time against Espanyol and Elche, a narrow win over Internazionale after an individual error, and a loss to Betis.
In the classic against Atletico, Dean Huijsen’s early red card in the second half left the visitors with ten men, and Thibaut Courtois kept the score respectable. Mourinho’s line‑up often featured a less creative midfield of Fede Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, even with Bernardo Silva on the bench, and he entered the field eight minutes before the final whistle to provide an assist.
The weight of the star trio – Vinícius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé – forces Mourinho to rely heavily on Güler, who has emerged as a key highlight in recent matches.