Mourinho Blames Referees After Real Madrid Fall Behind Barcelona

Mourinho Blames Officials After Derby Loss

Jose Mourinho is back at Real Madrid, and so are his complaints about referees. Following a 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid, the manager focused his attention on the officiating rather than his team's performance.

Mourinho brought paper printouts to his post-game conference to highlight decisions he disliked. He criticized referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, saying he felt the pressure and was not an international standard referee. He also targeted VAR official Daniel Jesus Trujillo Suarez, claiming the official has a history with his club.

The manager pointed to a tackle by Cristian Romero on Jude Bellingham and another by Lee Kang-In on Fede Valverde. Mourinho argued that both opposing players should have been sent off, which would have left Atletico playing with nine men.

Atletico Take the Points

While Mourinho complained, Atletico Madrid took the victory. The match shifted when Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen received a red card and conceded a penalty.

Down a man, Real Madrid struggled. Jonathan David scored Atletico's second goal after being set up by Giuliano Simeone, who also defended well against Kylian Mbappe. Antonio Rüdiger scored a late goal for Real Madrid to make it 2-1, but the damage was already done. Thibaut Courtois had to make several key saves to keep the score respectable.

The defeat leaves Real Madrid six points behind league leaders Barcelona. Barcelona secured a 3-1 win over Sevilla to extend their lead at the top of LaLiga after seven matches.

Brighton Thrash Champions Arsenal

Over in the Premier League, Arsenal suffered a massive blow. Brighton dominated the defending champions in a shocking 3-0 victory.

The defeat was as comprehensive as the scoreline suggests. Brighton fans even taunted the visiting supporters during the match. Gunners manager Mikel Arteta now has a three-week international break to figure out how to help his team recover from the heavy loss.