Mourinho walked into his press conference holding a piece of paper. He never really put it down.
Real Madrid’s first Madrid derby of the season ended in defeat, frustration, and one of the most extraordinary post-match meltdowns in recent memory. Atlético Madrid won 2-1 at the Metropolitano, leapfrogging their city rivals into second place in La Liga and leaving José Mourinho’s side six points adrift of league leaders Barcelona after just seven games.
But the scoreline tells only part of the story. The real drama unfolded in the 52nd minute — and then again in the press room.
The Moment That Changed Everything
The match was goalless at half-time, tense and scrappy, with Real Madrid arguably the better side in the opening 45 minutes. Mourinho would later say he “really liked” his team’s first-half performance, praising their “class and character”.
Then, seven minutes into the second half, it all fell apart.
Giuliano Simeone latched onto a long ball in behind the Real Madrid defence. Dean Huijsen, the young centre-back, was caught flat-footed and pulled the Atlético forward down inside the penalty area.
Referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias initially showed Huijsen a yellow card, believing he had made a genuine attempt to challenge for the ball. Under IFAB rules, when a player commits an offence in the box that denies an obvious goal-scoring opportunity but is attempting to play the ball, a yellow card and a penalty are considered sufficient punishment.
But VAR intervened.
After reviewing the footage, Ortiz Arias determined that Huijsen had simply tried to pull Simeone back — there was no genuine attempt to play the ball. That changed everything. Under the laws of the game, a cynical foul that denies a goal-scoring opportunity requires a straight red card.
The yellow became a red. Real Madrid were down to ten men. And Atlético had a penalty.
Grimaldo and David Punish Ten-Man Real
Alejandro Grimaldo stepped up and converted the spot-kick with a low strike in the 53rd minute.
Six minutes later, it was 2-0. Jonathan David doubled Atlético’s lead, finishing clinically as Real Madrid struggled to reorganise with a man less.
Mourinho’s side were reeling. Vinícius Júnior, who had a quiet afternoon by his standards, was substituted in the 54th minute — a decision that raised eyebrows but reflected the tactical reshuffle required after the red card.
Real Madrid fought back. Antonio Rüdiger pulled one back in the 89th minute, heading home to give the visitors a late lifeline. But it was too little, too late. Atlético held on for a victory that felt, to the Metropolitano crowd, like a statement.
Mourinho’s Meltdown: Photos, Names, and Accusations
If the defeat itself was painful, the aftermath was extraordinary.
Mourinho arrived at his post-match news conference carrying an A4 sheet of paper with screenshots of two first-half incidents he believed should have resulted in Atlético red cards.
“We can skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here,” he said, holding up the printed images.
The first incident involved Cristian Romero’s challenge on Jude Bellingham in the 37th minute. Replays showed Romero making contact with his studs on Bellingham’s knee. Bellingham was initially shown a yellow card — a decision that was later overturned by VAR, with the booking transferred to Romero instead.
The second incident involved Lee Kang-in’s tackle on Federico Valverde, which Mourinho believed warranted a straight red. Reports later suggested Valverde could be out for three weeks with an ankle injury.
“Those were two clear red cards,” Mourinho said. “Given the difficulties we faced afterwards playing 11 against 10, we can only imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against nine would have been like”.
He didn’t stop there. Mourinho attacked referee Ortiz Arias by name, suggesting the 41-year-old official lacked the experience for a match of this magnitude. “They appoint a referee who, at 41, has no international experience… the poor guy came here and couldn’t handle the pressure,” he said.
He also targeted VAR official Daniel Trujillo, claiming he had “a very extensive history as VAR in Real Madrid games”.
Diego Simeone’s Response: A Masterclass in Restraint
Across the corridor, Diego Simeone was beaming.
“I understand that we’re in a privileged position with a lot of public scrutiny, as coaches, and whether it’s Mourinho, Flick, Pellegrini, me, or anyone else, we need to be careful about what we say,” he said. “We have to know how to respect others, the referees, our colleagues and we all lose out. And when someone crosses that line of respect, it’s not right — you can’t cross that line”.
It was a pointed, polite rebuke — and a reminder that Simeone has been on the receiving end of Mourinho’s mind games before.
The Bigger Picture: A Six-Point Gap
The defeat leaves Real Madrid third in La Liga, six points behind Barcelona, who have won all seven of their opening fixtures. Atlético, meanwhile, move into second, five points adrift of the leaders.
For Mourinho, who took charge this summer replacing Carlo Ancelotti, the pressure is already mounting. This was Real Madrid’s second defeat of the season, following a 1-0 loss to Real Betis earlier in September. The Portuguese manager has won seven of his first nine games, but the two losses have come in the matches that matter most.
For Atlético, this was a signature win — a derby victory built on resilience, tactical discipline, and the ruthlessness to punish a ten-man opponent. It was also a reminder that the Metropolitano remains one of the toughest away days in European football.
What Happens Next
Real Madrid return to action after the international break, facing a crucial run of fixtures that will define their season. Mourinho will need to rally a squad that looked rattled in the second half — and a defence that has now conceded in three of its last four matches.
Atlético, meanwhile, travel to Valencia with momentum and belief. The title race is still young, but the capital is red again — and for the first time in years, it’s Atlético who are looking down on Real Madrid.
Mourinho left the Metropolitano with a piece of paper in his hand and a long list of grievances. The rest of Spain left with a very different impression: that the team in white, for all their talent and all their history, might not be the best side in Madrid this season.
