Aguirre disputes Mourinho’s account and questions Mbappe free-kick decision

Javier Aguirre has challenged Jose Mourinho’s description of their post-match conversation and questioned the decision to award a free-kick to Kylian Mbappe before Real Madrid opened the scoring against Valencia.

Real Madrid won 3-0, with Federico Valverde, Arda Guler and Mbappe on target. The result moved them to 30 points and extended their winning run in all competitions to eight matches. They are level with Barcelona at the top of La Liga, although Barcelona lead on goal difference and have played one more match. Valencia remain second from bottom on nine points.

Aguirre clarifies Mourinho exchange

Mourinho said after the match that he had told Aguirre in the tunnel not to be upset because his players were “much better” than Valencia’s.

“The problem is not Aguirre, because he is a great manager with a lot of experience,” Mourinho said. “But Real Madrid’s players are very good, and managers who have players like mine are closer to winning.”

Aguirre said Mourinho had not used the phrase “much better”, but had simply said that his players were better. He added that he did not take the comment personally.

“He did not say they were much better. He told me to stay calm because his players were better,” Aguirre told Mundo Deportivo. “I listened to him because he is my friend, congratulated him and then went to the dressing room.”

He said the exchange was not discussed by the Valencia squad.

“There was no reaction. The players understand football and saw it as something said in the context of the game, not as something personal. Some of them may not even have heard it,” Aguirre added.

He also defended the quality of his own squad, saying: “I believe I have very good players, otherwise I would not be here. This is a big club with a long history of developing players.”

Dispute over Mbappe incident

Aguirre also criticised the decision by referee Francisco Jose Hernandez Maeso to award Real Madrid a free-kick after contact between Mbappe and Pablo Maffeo, close to Valencia’s penalty area.

The incident came in the 28th minute. Valencia initially defended the set-piece, but the ball fell to Valverde, whose powerful shot put Real Madrid ahead.

“I do not think it was a foul,” Aguirre said. “That is what I saw from my angle.”

He also referred to a conversation with the fourth official: “If it was a foul, why was the player not shown a red card? The fourth official told me Mbappe was not in control of the ball, and I think he was right. The ball was not under his control.”

However, Aguirre refused to blame the defeat on the officials.

“I will never use that to justify the loss. Real Madrid were better than us and won. Neither luck nor the referee makes a team better,” he said.

There was further tension in the tunnel at half-time when Valencia sporting director Braulio Vazquez protested to the assistant referee. Witnesses also reported confrontations involving Jude Bellingham, Antonio Rudiger and Eder Militao, while police were called after an alleged clash between Rudiger and a member of the club’s security staff.

The referee’s report did not detail those player incidents, but recorded Vazquez confronting the first assistant referee and repeatedly shouting: “It is not a foul… it is not a foul! What a farce.”

Aguirre said he did not see the altercation but had spoken to Vazquez, who confirmed he had protested about the decision.

Guler scored in the 36th minute and Mbappe completed the victory in the 75th, converting a pass from the Turkey international.

A related fixture listing shows Tavernes de la Valldigna hosting Valencia and Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey on 10 November 2026. Real Madrid are also listed to play Celta Vigo in La Liga on 21 November 2026.