Jose Mourinho’s 15-match suspension record reignited after Madrid derby

Jose Mourinho’s long-running conflict with referees has returned to the spotlight after Atletico Madrid’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the latest Madrid derby.

The match was finely balanced until Dean Huijsen was sent off early in the second half, changing the contest and helping Diego Simeone’s side secure an important win. Mourinho responded with another outspoken intervention, according to Spanish radio station Cadena SER.

The Portuguese manager’s disciplinary record includes 15 actual suspensions imposed because of his comments and conduct towards referees and football authorities. The figure does not include his direct red cards during matches, substantial fines or suspended punishments that were never activated.

The most notable incident came in April 2011, when Mourinho was Real Madrid manager. After his side lost 2-0 to Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final at Santiago Bernabeu, he launched an extraordinary attack during his news conference.

“Why, why?” Mourinho asked angrily before accusing UEFA of favouring Barcelona. He listed referees he believed had benefited Pep Guardiola’s team and harmed his own sides, and questioned the legitimacy of Barcelona’s European titles.

UEFA responded by banning him for five matches and fining him 50,000 euros. Although Real Madrid appealed, the punishment was upheld, with the fourth and fifth matches suspended for a three-year probationary period.

That episode became the defining example of Mourinho publicly challenging the integrity of the refereeing system.

Four-match ban after Europa League final

Mourinho’s conduct went beyond news conferences after the 2023 Europa League final in Budapest. Following Roma’s defeat by Sevilla, he criticised English referee Anthony Taylor before confronting him in the stadium car park and directing insulting and offensive remarks at him.

“This is a disgraceful shame,” Mourinho said of the incident. UEFA subsequently handed him a four-match European suspension. The punishment was considered particularly serious because it followed deliberate behaviour towards the referee after the match rather than a momentary protest on the pitch.

His time at Fenerbahce added three more effective suspensions to the record. In 2024, after a dramatic victory over Trabzonspor, Mourinho criticised Turkish refereeing and the use of VAR. Trabzonspor were awarded two penalties after video reviews, while Mourinho believed his team had been denied a clear spot-kick. The Turkish Football Federation suspended him for one match and imposed a fine.

In February 2025, following the Fenerbahce-Galatasaray derby, he described Turkish football as “chaos and indiscipline” and directly criticised the officials. His initial four-match ban was reduced to two after Fenerbahce’s appeal, meaning he served three suspensions during his short spell in Turkey.

Mourinho’s record also includes a two-match UEFA ban in 2005, during his first period with Chelsea, after he accused Swedish referee Anders Frisk of speaking to Barcelona manager Frank Rijkaard at half-time. Frisk later retired after receiving threats.

During his second spell at Chelsea and his time with Manchester United, Mourinho received further punishments for his behaviour towards officials, although most involved direct dismissals and therefore are not part of the 15-match total. He also faced sanctions for public comments about referees while managing Inter Milan and Roma.

As he returns to the centre of attention after the Madrid derby, Mourinho’s latest intervention underlines a familiar approach: using criticism of refereeing as part of his psychological strategy, despite the possibility of missing matches from the touchline.