'There are red lines that cannot be crossed' - Atletico Madrid blast Jose Mourinho over refereeing 'harassment' after derby victory

The fallout from the latest Madrid derby has shifted from the pitch to the press room, as Atletico reacted with fury to Mourinho’s post-match conduct. After watching his side fall to a defeat at the Metropolitano, the Real head coach utilized his press conference to launch a pointed attack on the officiating, even bringing printed visual aids to illustrate his grievances. Atletico waited nearly a day before firing back, initially using social media to post a pointed graphic of Mourinho emerging from a printer with the caption: "Stop refereeing harassment now."

However, the club's frustration goes far beyond social media banter. The club officials expressed deep concern over the escalating rhetoric coming from the Santiago Bernabeu. "There are red lines that cannot be crossed, and they've done it again. You can't be disrespectful," a club representative told Marca.

The Atleti hierarchy has expressed deep concern regarding the ongoing atmosphere in Spanish football, arguing that the relentless public pressure and targeted scrutiny aimed at match officials has placed La Liga referees in an increasingly impossible position. The hierarchy firmly maintains that weaponizing internal media channels to systematically critique refereeing decisions creates immense hostility, compromises impartiality, and undermines overall sportsmanship.The club cautioned: "The integrity of Spanish football is at stake. Either we stop them now or there will be no turning back."

Mourinho’s criticism of referee was remarkably specific and scathing, even by his own lofty standards for controversy. During his post-match analysis, he questioned why a 41-year-old official who lacks international accreditation was selected for a fixture of such immense magnitude. The former Chelsea and Inter boss suggested that the referee was simply incapable of managing the emotional weight of a Madrid derby.

"It’s all been very strange," Mourinho said on Sunday. "First of all, the referee was known a week before the match, but I’m told that’s usually announced just 24 hours in advance. Then he is a 41-year-old referee who isn’t on the international list, so it can’t be because he’s a great referee. The poor guy came here and couldn’t handle the pressure."

The defeat has left Real in a precarious position early in the season, sitting in fourth place after seven rounds of action. Meanwhile, Diego Simeone's side have climbed to second in the table, trailing only Barcelona. For Mourinho, who led Los Blancos to a La Liga title and a Copa del Rey during his first tenure between 2010 and 2013, the pressure is mounting to close the gap on the leaders. However, his focus on the officials rather than his team's performance has given Atletico ammunition to claim that he is attempting to deflect from his side's shortcomings on the pitch.