José Mourinho dragged the refereeing row back into the spotlight after Real Madrid's defeat to Atlético Madrid in the capital derby. He pinned the blame on referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias for several decisions that shaped the match, in comments that reminded the Spanish media of how the Portuguese coach has always handled his team's setbacks.
On "Cope" radio's "Tiempo de Juego" programme, those comments drew sharp criticism from journalist Paco González. He objected to some of the referee's calls himself, but felt the Real Madrid coach had reverted to the rhetoric he used during his first spell at the club.
"Mourinho has reappeared. I don't know how many years have passed since then. The blame for the defeat falls on the referee," González said in his analysis, before conceding that the Portuguese coach had a point about some of the first-half incidents that could have warranted cards.
Ortiz Arias's in-game decisions weren't Mourinho's only target. He also voiced surprise that the official had been appointed to take charge of the derby at all.
González mocked the notion. "I don't know if they've hired a scriptwriter for Real Madrid TV," he said.
Turning his fire on the club's hierarchy over the choice of Mourinho, the Spanish journalist argued that Real Madrid "needed a modern coach, but hired a coach from 15 years ago." Keep obsessing over the referee, he added, and the real debate about the team's level and the reasons for the defeat gets buried.
This is Real Madrid's second La Liga defeat in the opening seven rounds. It drags Mourinho back into the media glare after a spell of relative calm in his appearances and statements since he took charge of the side.