Atletico Madrid have targeted Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho on social media after securing a 2-1 derby victory over their capital rivals.
The Spanish club published an unsigned video on their social media accounts showing a printer stamping the message "Stop Referee Harassment NOW" on a piece of cardstock. The post came as a direct response to comments made by the Real Madrid coach regarding match officials during the derby fixture.
Atletico Madrid have increasingly used their official social media channels as an editorial tool in recent weeks. The club chose not to add a signature to the video post, though the intended recipient of the message was clear to supporters and observers.
Mourinho press conference complaints
The controversy began during Mourinho's post-match press conference following Real Madrid's 2-1 defeat. The Portuguese manager appeared before reporters carrying printed images under his arm and used the photographs to point out, one by one, what he considered errors by referee Ortiz Arias.
Mourinho delivered a lengthy address, claiming that the press conference could effectively be saved because the entire story of the match was contained in his printouts. He added that if his team were left in peace, calm, and allowed to compete under equal circumstances, things would be different, while stating he did not want to go so far as to call it something pre-arranged and did not want to think about that possibility.
Simeone response and respect line
Before Atletico Madrid released the printer video online, manager Diego Pablo Simeone addressed the growing referee debate. The Argentine coach did not endorse the refereeing criticisms coming from the opposing bench and set a clear boundary regarding conduct.
Simeone declared that regardless of whether a manager is named Mourinho or Simeone, crossing the line of respect is unacceptable. Simeone, who has managed Atletico Madrid since 2011, has built a reputation for intense line-side passion while maintaining strict boundaries around official criticism in major Spanish football fixtures.
A recurring communication tactic
This is not the first time Atletico Madrid have used social media videos to send sharp messages to rival European football clubs. During the summer transfer window, when Barcelona attempted to sign Argentine forward Julian Alvarez, Atletico deployed the exact same publication format to criticize the Catalan club.
In that summer publication, Atletico posted that it would never occur to them to pay the vice president of the referees or resort to political favours to register players. That statement referenced broader refereeing and financial compliance discussions within Spanish football.
Shift in social media focus
With their latest social media release, Real Madrid have now replaced Barcelona as the primary focus of Atletico's communication strategy. Mourinho had used printed paper in the press room to present his complaints against referee Ortiz Arias, and Atletico responded using another printer to produce four words summarizing their position on the Real Madrid manager's claims.
The Madrid derby between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid remains one of the most competitive rivalries in world football. Matches at the Metropolitano Stadium routinely generate intense reactions both during play and in the media briefings that follow.
