Casablanca – The Madrid derby continued to make headlines after the final whistle, with Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone responding to Jose Mourinho’s criticism of the refereeing following Atlético’s 2-1 victory over Real Madrid.
Mourinho strongly questioned several decisions during the match, arguing that Atletico players should have received red cards for incidents in the first half. Real Madrid later saw defender Dean Huijsen sent off, adding to the frustration on the visitors’ bench.
The Portuguese coach also arrived at his post-match press conference with images from the game, using them to illustrate what he considered key refereeing mistakes.
Simeone, however, urged coaches to maintain respect toward officials and fellow managers regardless of the circumstances.
“We respect the opinions of others,” Simeone said after the match.
The Argentine then stressed that managers working at the highest level have a responsibility to consider the impact of their words, particularly when discussing referees.
“We are all in a place that receives a lot of coverage, so we have to be careful with what we say and respect others, the referees, and our colleagues,” he said.
Simeone also acknowledged that Atletico benefited from some decisions during the derby but argued that this should not remove the need for respect.
Read also: Mourinho Slams Refereeing After Real Madrid Derby Defeat: ‘Two Clear Red Cards’
“What I understand from our position is that respect for referees, even if we benefited from some decisions today, must be maintained,” Simeone said.
He then delivered his sharpest response to Mourinho, making clear that he believed no manager should be exempt from that standard.
“Not everything is permissible, even if your name is Mourinho,” Simeone added.
Mourinho had earlier focused heavily on the refereeing, particularly a challenge involving Atletico defender Cuti Romero and Jude Bellingham that he believed warranted a red card.
He also pointed to Huijsen’s subsequent dismissal as part of what he viewed as an uneven officiating performance.
Despite the controversy, Simeone focused on Atletico’s performance and their ability to manage the match after Real Madrid went down to 10 players.
“An intense match, which we controlled at all times,” the Atletico coach said. “We stopped an opponent that has incredible transitions, we controlled almost all of those transitions.”
Atletico ultimately secured the three points, while the post-match exchange between the two managers added another layer to an already heated Madrid derby.
