Atletico respond to Mourinho’s refereeing complaints with pointed A4 video

The Madrid derby between Atletico and Real Madrid has sparked a public exchange over refereeing after Jose Mourinho displayed a sheet of A4 paper highlighting two challenges he believed should have resulted in red cards. Atletico responded the following day with a video of its own, featuring the message: “Stop intimidating referees.”

Atletico won Sunday’s derby at home in a match that was, as usual, played with considerable tension. Kang-In Lee and Cristian Romero were involved in serious fouls, but neither was sent off.

Mourinho used his post-match news conference to challenge the decisions. Before speaking to reporters, the Real Madrid manager had printed photographs of the incidents and held up the A4 sheet as he argued that his side had been seriously disadvantaged.

His criticism was also directed at referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, whom he accused of lacking the experience required to handle a derby.

“This referee had no experience of derbies. He is 41 years old. He is a bad referee who has only officiated in the lower divisions,” Mourinho said after displaying the photographs.

“Congratulations to the refereeing committee for this appointment!”

Real Madrid subsequently issued an official statement, which was largely a criticism of the officiating during the match.

Atletico then used its official channels to answer Mourinho’s intervention. A video shared on social media shows a sheet of A4 paper emerging from a printer.

The paper contains a photograph of Mourinho holding up his evidence during Sunday’s news conference, alongside the words: “Stop intimidating referees.”

The response echoed the format chosen by Mourinho, who had used a printed page of match images to support his complaint before the media. Atletico’s version offered no further explanation but directly targeted the manager’s criticism of the referee and the refereeing committee.