La Liga
Real Madrid and José Mourinho hit by La Liga boss over referee tirade
Real Madrid has found itself in the eye of the storm in Spain after José Mourinho criticised the refereeing in the derby against Atlético Madrid and La Liga chairman Javier Tebas responded sharply.
Video of Atlético undermines Mourinho’s tirade
Before Tebas reacted, city rival Atlético Madrid posted a playful video in which a photo of Mourinho was rolled out of a printer with the caption ‘Stop intimidation of referees’. The video was intended as a response to the Portuguese coach’s press conference after the match between the two Madrid top‑flight teams.
Mourinho, 63, did not blame the defeat on his own side but on referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz. He showed two printed images that, in his view, provided clear evidence of moments when an Atlético player should have received a red card.
Javier Tebas condemns Real’s narrative
In a social‑media post, La Liga chairman Javier Tebas accused Real Madrid of using the refereeing story to conceal sporting problems. Tebas wrote that the club invokes an ‘alleged conspiracy’ against itself and that this is ‘living in another galaxy’.
Tebas criticises Mourinho and Real Madrid after controversial derby
He added that no club has the right to choose referees at will and that a refereeing error does not prove a conspiracy. Tebas emphasized that the continual accusations damage the reputation of the competition and of Spanish football worldwide.
Real Madrid responded with an official communiqué in which the club accused the La Liga chairman of abusing his institutional position to discredit the club. The club stated that such behaviour harms the image of the competition and of Spanish football.
In the communiqué Real Madrid called for the appointment of a chairman who can fulfil his fundamental duty of neutrality. The club’s strong reply was shortly followed by a response from Javier Tebas to a pro‑Real article on X, in which he labelled the accusations as an alibi for other shortcomings of the club.