Why did Mourinho raise two A4 papers in front of journalists after the loss to Atletico Madrid...and how did Simeone respond to his statements?

Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho did not need a microphone to present his first point of view following Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid on Sunday evening. He brought the evidence with him, as he placed in front of the media an A4-sized sheet of paper containing video clips (screenshots) of the two tackles that took place during the first half. The Real Madrid coach wanted the gathered journalists to look at enlarged images before listening to his explanation.

"We can skip the press conference, because the story of the match lies here," Mourinho said as he showed the printed photos to the media present. He added: "These were two clear cases of expulsion; and given the difficulties we faced later while playing with 11 players against 10, we can only imagine what it would have been like if we had played for 50 minutes with 11 players against 9."

He continued: "So I will just hug my team players, who did their best and played a good first half, and showed class and great character, which created the ideal conditions for us to win in the second half." Real Madrid have made a strong start to their domestic campaign under their returning coach, with a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis the only blemish on their record; However, the recent loss to its arch-neighbor left a clear bitterness that will accompany the Portuguese coach throughout the international break, which extends for the next twenty days.

Instead of allowing the derby match to be reduced to a negative result, Mourinho turned the refereeing into the focus of controversy. The first photo relates to the intervention made by Christian Romero on Jude Bellingham in the 37th minute. The yellow card was shown in Romero's face after the nails of his shoe touched Bellingham's knee, after the referee reviewed the incident on the screen and confirmed the decision.

Mourinho believed that this situation warranted expulsion. His second shot was related to Lee Kang-in's tackle on Fede Valverde, another incident that he considered warranted a direct red card.

The importance - from Mourinho's point of view - was not simply that two decisions were made against Real Madrid, but rather in the impact that those decisions could have had on the balance of the confrontation. In the end, Atletico faced an inferior Madrid team after Dean Huyson was sent off, and Diego Simeone's side took advantage to win thanks to goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Jonathan David, before Antonio Rudiger scored a late goal that was only an honorary goal for the visitors.

Thus, Mourinho was presenting an alternative scenario for the evening's events: not a confrontation between Atletico and Real Madrid with a reduced number (with ten players), but a possible confrontation between Real Madrid and a team playing with nine players. The two images shown were the opening, and Mourinho then expanded the scope of the issue, highlighting the match officials.

His criticism was not limited to the decisions themselves, but extended to referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias, the VAR mechanism, and those responsible for these appointments. "The one who should be happy is the referees' appointment committee, because the whole thing was very strange," Mourinho said.

He added: "They knew the identity of the referee a whole week ago, whereas previously the matter was limited to only 24 hours. He is a 41-year-old referee who has never refereed internationally; this means that the level will not be first-rate."

The Portuguese coach continued, saying of Arias: “That poor guy came here and could not handle the pressure,” and added: “The atmosphere here takes us back to the 1980s. [Daniel Jesus] Trujillo, the VAR referee, called the main referee to review the situation that led to the first red card, but he did not do so in the second case, even though it was more clear.

Trujillo has a history of controversial positions with Real Madrid. He had previously refereed matches such as the King’s Cup final last year, and the Osasuna and Girona matches...” He continued: “If the poor referee lacks the experience and standing that derby matches require, then he either does not face any pressure, or he is suffering under some kind of pressure that we know nothing about.”

Mourinho could easily have pinned his post-match frustration on the two tackles. Instead, he questioned the suitability of the ruling for the occasion, and raised questions about the appointment process itself.

The video referee (VAR) also became part of the story. However, Mourinho stopped short of claiming that the decisions were deliberate.

“I want to believe they are just mistakes,” the 63-year-old said. “Just as a coach makes mistakes, just as a player makes mistakes.” Mourinho then returned to a familiar theme in his coaching career, as he diverted attention from any criticism that might affect his players, and instead focused on the psychological aspects surrounding major matches.

He added: "I would have liked to leave the place with a win or without having to speak. I arrived here [Real Madrid] three months ago, and you know that I am not one who usually tends to this kind of behavior."

He continued: “We received two red cards [that were not counted] against Elche and we won. Today, Atletico was supposed to receive two red cards, and this makes it more difficult.

“We are facing a referee who only has small matches in his possession, and a video referee (VAR) who has a history.” Despite all the attention that the referees received, Mourinho was careful not to let the defeat turn into a condemnation of his team’s squad.

Real Madrid was forced to play the second half with ten players after Howesen was sent off, while Atletico was able to control the ball and exploit its numerical superiority. However, Mourinho insisted that his players had done enough to make him satisfied with their performance and adherence to instructions. Mourinho said: “I liked my team as a unit. I really liked it even in the first half, but in the second half, it was clearly very difficult to control the ball and stop Atletico’s possession of it.”

He continued: “I liked their spirit of pride, and I liked their determination. It is a good feeling not to be disappointed with my players.” The defeat, under these circumstances and at the hands of Simeone, would have left a deep scar on Mourinho’s soul, while his counterpart gave a completely different account of what happened in the match.

Simeone refused to object to every decision or discuss his counterpart's interpretation directly. The Argentine coach said - when he was asked about the detailed criticism that Mourinho directed at the referees during his speech to the media -: “I realize that we as coaches have a prominent position that places us under the microscope of public opinion, and whether it is about Mourinho, [Hansi] Flick, [Manuel] Pellegrini, Pellegrini, or anyone else, we have to be careful in what we say.”

He added: "We must know how to respect others, the referees and our colleagues, otherwise we will all be the losers. When someone exceeds the limits of respect, that is not right, as it is not permissible to cross those limits." Simeone's focus remained on Atletico's performance and the way his players dealt with Real Madrid's threat.

He added: "The match I watched was exciting, and I think we controlled it the entire time." He continued: "We faced an opponent with a tremendous ability to transform the game, and it included exceptional players who clearly played for the team and performed their roles with great skill. However, we controlled almost all the transitions that they could have made."

Simeone saw Atletico Madrid dominate a tough game, defend collectively, and exploit their advantage when Real Madrid were reduced to ten players. Mourinho saw a match that could have been completely different if two Atletico players had been sent off before the red card received by Howesen.