Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid clash over refereeing disputes

Following Real Madrid's recent defeat to Atletico Madrid in the capital derby, Jose Mourinho sparked a public controversy by appearing at a press conference with printed images of incidents where he claimed his team was denied red cards. The manager used these documents to explicitly criticize the referee’s performance during the match.

In response, Atletico Madrid issued a public rebuttal, stating that they would have printed similar evidence of past instances where Real Madrid allegedly benefited from biased officiating, but chose not to do so for ecological reasons, noting that they would run out of paper and forests. The club further criticized what they described as the constant harassment of referees by Mourinho. To emphasize their stance, Atletico’s official social media accounts posted a video featuring a printer producing a document that mockingly displayed an image of Mourinho and the slogan, 'stop harassing the referees.

This incident highlights the ongoing tension between the two clubs regarding officiating. Atletico maintains that Real Madrid's complaints are baseless, suggesting the club has historically been favored in city derbies. The dispute serves as a reminder of the historical rivalry and the highly charged atmosphere surrounding La Liga matches, even during the current international break.