Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has launched a blistering attack on the officiating criteria following his side’s shock 1-0 defeat to Real Betis at the Estadio de la Cartuja.
Jose Mourinho left fuming over referee’s first-half call
Troy Parrott struck in the 81st minute to put the hosts ahead before Kylian Mbappe squandered a golden opportunity to salvage a point, seeing his stoppage-time penalty saved brilliantly by Betis goalkeeper Alvaro Valles.
The defeat leaves Madrid stuck on nine points, missing the chance to leapfrog Barcelona at the summit of La Liga.
Mourinho, who received a yellow card during the tense encounter, made his frustrations clear when questioned about the refereeing performance.
“I don’t know why he gave me a yellow card, but it’s okay, I accept it,” the Portuguese manager said.
“I stood up because a Betis player looked like he was dead right in front of the bench.”
The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss pointed to what he perceived as inconsistent disciplinary standards during the first half.
“Betis reached half-time without a single card, and poor Arda, who only knows how to play, ended up with a yellow,” Mourinho added.
“I didn’t like that, but after losing a match, I’m not going to say now that it was because of a yellow card that we won or lost.”
Despite dominating possession throughout the contest, Madrid struggled to break down a resilient Betis defence.
Both Vinicius Jr and Mbappe struck the woodwork as frustration grew among the visitors.
Tensions boiled over in the closing stages when Carlos Espi had a spectacular acrobatic finish ruled out for offside moments before the decisive penalty incident.
Mourinho admitted his coaching staff were left furious after reviewing footage on the touchline tablet.
“The penalty situation, the retaken penalty, Espi’s goal – I don’t know, I can’t say,” the Madrid boss explained.
“I saw a lot of frustration on the bench from people watching the plays on the tablet. I haven’t seen them, so I can’t comment.”
The defeat represents a significant setback for Madrid’s title aspirations as they now face mounting pressure to respond in their upcoming fixtures.
