Mourinho brings printed evidence to press conference after Real Madrid's derby loss

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho arrived at his post-match news conference with printed images of two incidents he claimed should have resulted in red cards for Atletico Madrid players during their 2-1 derby defeat.

Mourinho presented an A4 sheet of paper featuring screenshots of the controversial moments, stating that the story of the match was contained within them. He argued that Atletico should have had two players dismissed in the first half, which would have drastically altered the game's dynamic.

"We can skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," Mourinho told reporters. "Those were two clear red cards. 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."

The first incident Mourinho highlighted involved Real's Jude Bellingham and Atletico's Cristian Romero in the 37th minute. After a challenge for a loose ball, Bellingham was initially shown a yellow card, but a video assistant referee review led to Romero receiving a yellow instead, after replays indicated contact with his studs on Bellingham's knee.

Mourinho's second point of contention was a challenge by Atletico's Lee Kang-in on Fede Valverde, which he believed warranted a straight red card.

Despite his complaints about the officiating, Mourinho expressed pride in his players' commitment and performance, particularly in the first half. "I liked my team as a unit. Even in the first half I really liked them, and in the second half it was obviously very difficult to get the ball and to stop Atleti's possession. I liked their pride, I liked their determination, and it's a good feeling for me to not be disappointed in my players."

Atletico manager Diego Simeone, however, downplayed the refereeing debate, asserting that his team had controlled the match. "The match I watched was an intense one, where I think we controlled it at all times," Simeone said. "We faced an opponent with incredible transitions and extraordinary players who obviously play for their team and do so very well. We controlled almost all the transitions they could have had."

Simeone emphasized his team's teamwork, defensive organization, and collective effort in securing the victory. "I think we controlled the match at all times, through our teamwork, our defence, our collective effort, our group dynamics, and our play. Looking for where we could hurt them, which we knew was on the right side."

The defeat leaves Real Madrid in fourth place in the league standings, while Atletico sits second, five points behind leaders Barcelona. La Liga will resume on Friday, October 9, following the international break.