José Mourinho has again turned the spotlight on referees, this time suggesting that penalty decisions benefiting Atlético Madrid and Barcelona are not receiving proper scrutiny. The Real Madrid manager made the comments in his press conference ahead of Tuesday's match against Elche, just after Atlético's 0-3 win at the Reale Arena.
Atletico's victory in San Sebastián came after a tight game that was unlocked in the 84th minute. The referee awarded a penalty for a handball by Real Sociedad substitute Job Ochieng, and Alejandro Grimaldo made no mistake from the spot. That goal opened the floodgates, allowing Jonathan David and Giuliano Simeone Baldini to seal the scoreline in added time. Real Sociedad coach Pellegrino Matarazzo had already expressed his disagreement with the officiating decision after the final whistle.
Mourinho, as he ended his media appearance, posed a rhetorical question. "No questions about the penalties?" the Portuguese said. "Strange, isn't it?". His allusion also included the penalty converted by Lamine Yamal for Barcelona in their 2-4 win at Levante on Sunday. These controversies arrive at a key moment in the season, with Atlético Madrid fifth in La Liga on 10 points, five behind leaders Barcelona. The rojiblancos' next fixture is a derby at home against second-placed Real Madrid on September 20.
The Merengues' boss also addressed his squad management amid a busy schedule. "I have great faith in the players' self-awareness," Mourinho explained. "We only have two days between matches, so it's key to gauge how they're feeling, listen to the medical staff and look at the training data, and then make a decision between today and tomorrow. But if I can, provided there are no issues, I'll play them." This suggests stars like Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior could feature against Elche.
The context for these statements comes in a week where Mourinho had already questioned an officiating decision, specifically the one that denied Mbappé a retake on a missed penalty in the defeat to Betis. The Technical Committee of Referees later backed the referee's call. With the capital derby on the horizon, every word carries extra weight. Atlético supporters can track the squad's progress and check the usual lineup, while the full season schedule is on our fixtures page. The last meeting between the sides ended in a 3-2 Madrid win back in March, so the Metropolitano awaits a response.
Read the full report at espn.com
