Real Madrid's Bernardo Silva took aim at the referee after Saturday night's clash with Valencia, a game the Royal side won 3-0 at the Mestalla in the 12th round of the Spanish league.
Silva said, in press statements after the match: "Valencia played very aggressively, extremely aggressively, because the referee allowed them to be aggressive."
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The outburst followed a bruising contest. Valencia's players flew into challenges and picked up several yellow cards, while captain José Gayà saw a straight red in the 79th minute for a foul on Kylian Mbappé.
Looking ahead, Silva relished the thought of a return to the Santiago Bernabéu. "We cannot wait to return to the Bernabéu, and to continue our run of victories there. I know the fans are also waiting for us," he said.
Silva now wears the captain's armband for Portugal. He inherited the role after the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo quit international football in the wake of a fallout with coach Jorge Jesus.
Federico Valverde opened the scoring in the 28th minute. Arda Güler doubled the visitors' lead in the 36th, and Mbappé wrapped up the treble in the 75th. The result lifts the Royal side to second in La Liga on 30 points, level with leaders Barcelona, who host third-placed Atlético Madrid on Sunday with the Rojiblancos sitting on 28 points.