Jorge Valdano, the Real Madrid legend and former coach, criticised Fede Valverde, a current member of the squad, over his "naive" reaction in the Madrid derby.
Real Madrid lost 2-1 to hosts Atletico Madrid in the capital derby on Sunday, in the seventh round of La Liga.
Controversial refereeing incidents littered the game, none bigger than Real Madrid's demand for Atletico's Kang-in Lee to be sent off after a strong challenge on Valverde.
The video technology stayed silent. The referee took no decision. That sparked a huge wave of anger at the Royal club.
Valdano then weighed in on Valverde's role in the controversial clash with Kang-in Lee.
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Speaking on the Movistar Plus Deportes channel, Valdano said: "Remember that Mourinho accused Valverde of naivety in one of the matches, because he got up too quickly after a foul he believed deserved a harsher punishment. And here I feel that Valverde gets up too quickly, and this can be misleading."
According to the Royal Spanish Academy, the term "naive" describes an innocent person who trusts easily or interacts with life with a simplicity resembling that of a child.
The reference was to Mourinho's criticism after Real Madrid's match against Real Betis, when the Portuguese coach said: "The first attack of the match was a clear yellow card for the player who fouled Valverde. Then, a minute later, another yellow card for the player who committed a serious foul against Vinicius. But Betis's players are smarter than Real Madrid's players, who lack experience and skill."
He went on: "Real Madrid's players regain their balance immediately, while Betis's players are smarter, and with the support of a wonderful fan base that drives them and puts them under pressure, they achieve such feats."
Real Madrid confirmed Valverde had come off worse in the derby against Atletico Madrid, hurt by that violent challenge from Kang-in Lee: "After conducting examinations on our player Fede Valverde by Real Madrid's medical services, he was diagnosed with a severe contusion to his left ankle."
Pablo Gonzalez Fuertes, the referees' analyst on the "Marcador" programme on Radio Marca, pointed out that "Kang-in Lee's challenge on Valverde deserved a sending off with a red card."
Mourinho left no room for doubt, exploding with anger in the press conference: "Yes, we could have dispensed with the press conference because the story of the match is clear here. There are two clear red cards (Kang-in Lee's card on Valverde and Cuti Romero's card on Bellingham)."