Ortiz Arias leaves Madrid derby smiling after controversial decisions

Atletico Madrid defeated city rivals Real Madrid 2-1 in the Spanish capital derby on Sunday, but referee Ortiz Arias remained at the centre of attention after a video appeared to show him laughing as he left the stadium.

The footage emerged after a match in which Real Madrid players and supporters expressed their frustration over several controversial refereeing decisions. The result gave Atletico Madrid victory in the derby, while the officials’ decisions continued to fuel debate after the final whistle.

The official account of the television programme El Chiringuito posted on X: “Ortiz Arias, referee of the derby, leaves the stadium laughing.”

The clip showed Ortiz Arias leaving the ground with a smile, prompting a strong reaction given the anger surrounding his performance during the match.

Real Madrid had appealed for red cards to be shown on more than one occasion during the first half. The most prominent incidents involved Cuti Romero’s challenge on Jude Bellingham and Lee Kang-in’s tackle on Federico Valverde.

Real Madrid’s television channel argued that both challenges warranted dismissals. In its assessment, sending off the two Atletico Madrid players would have left Diego Simeone’s side with only nine players for the remainder of the match.

Ortiz Arias did not issue a red card in either incident during the opening 45 minutes, however, allowing Atletico Madrid to continue with a full team.

The second half brought a dismissal at the other end when Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen was shown a red card following a challenge that required a review by the video assistant referee, or VAR.

Real Madrid therefore finished the match with 10 players, while Atletico Madrid held on to secure a 2-1 victory.

The officiating decisions became a major talking point after the final whistle, particularly because of the result and the number of physical challenges, confrontations and disputed calls throughout the derby.

The reaction to Ortiz Arias’s departure added to the controversy, with the image of the referee smiling and laughing attracting attention as frustration among the Real Madrid camp remained high.