Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has admitted he had not seen the incident that led to Dean Huijsen’s red card during his side’s 2-1 defeat to Atlético Madrid in Sunday’s LaLiga derby.
Huijsen was initially shown a yellow card after bringing down Giuliano Simeone, who had broken through towards goal. However, referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias reviewed the incident on the pitchside monitor following a VAR recommendation and upgraded the punishment to a straight red.
The dismissal came five minutes after half-time and proved significant as Atlético took advantage of their numerical superiority. Alejandro Grimaldo converted the resulting penalty in the 53rd minute before Jonathan David doubled the hosts’ lead six minutes later.
Antonio Rüdiger pulled one back for Real Madrid late in the match, but Atlético held on to claim all three points.
Speaking after the match, Mourinho was careful not to give a definitive verdict on Huijsen’s dismissal because he had not yet watched the incident.
“I must confess I haven’t seen it yet,” Mourinho said, explaining that the incident happened too far away from his position for him to make a judgment.
The Portuguese coach said his players had told him the foul began outside the penalty area. He explained that, if that was the case, it would constitute a foul and a red card without a penalty, while an offence inside the box would result in a penalty, with the nature of the challenge determining whether a red card was appropriate.
Mourinho’s main frustration, however, centred on two first-half challenges by Atlético players which he believed should also have resulted in dismissals.
He arrived at his post-match press conference carrying photographs of incidents involving Cristian Romero and Lee Kang-in, arguing that both should have been punished with red cards. Mourinho said Real Madrid had been forced to play against 10 men after Huijsen’s dismissal while, in his view, Atlético could have been reduced to nine earlier in the contest.
The defeat ended a difficult evening for Madrid and left Mourinho particularly unhappy with the officiating. He also said he wanted his players to be allowed to compete on an even playing field as the season continues.
For Atlético boss Diego Simeone, however, Mourinho’s criticism was a matter of concern over the way coaches speak about officials. Simeone called for respect towards referees and fellow professionals following the heated derby.
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