Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho launched a furious attack on referee Ortiz Arias following his side's 2-1 defeat to rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
The Portuguese manager arrived at his post-match press conference holding printed photographs of fouls that he insisted were missed red card offenses during the match at the Wanda Metropolitano.
Ten-man Real Madrid suffered a derby loss after goals from Alejandro Grimaldo and Jonathan David put host side Atletico Madrid ahead, with Antonio Rudiger scoring a late consolation goal for the visitors.
Mourinho brandished the printed images in front of reporters to highlight what he claimed were pivotal mistakes by the officiating team that altered the course of the derby.
"We could save ourselves the press conference," Mourinho said as he presented the photos. "Here they are, two clear reds. It would have been 50 minutes of 11 against nine. All I can do is hug my players, who gave everything, who produced a first half full of class and personality. I prepared the match so we could win it in the second half."
Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen was sent off with a straight red card for holding Atletico forward Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area, leaving the visiting team with ten players.
Mourinho Questions Referee Credentials and Selection
Rather than questioning the performance of his own squad, Mourinho directed his sharpest criticism at referee Ortiz Arias, insisting that the 41-year-old official was unfit for high-stakes matches.
"The one who should be happy is the Refereeing Appointments Committee because the whole thing was very strange," Mourinho said. "A week in advance, they already knew who the referee would be, when it used to be 24 hours before. A 41-year-old referee, who has never been an international, that won't be top level."
Mourinho argued that the lack of international experience left the match official unprepared for the atmosphere inside Atletico Madrid's home stadium.
"The poor guy came here and couldn't handle the pressure," Mourinho continued. "The pressure here is like something out of the 1980s."
Targeting VAR Official Trujillo Over Inconsistent Decisions
The Real Madrid manager also singled out VAR official Trujillo, claiming a history of controversial calls against his club in previous domestic competitions.
"Trujillo, the VAR official, called him over for the first red and didn't call him over for the second, which was even clearer," Mourinho said. "This Trujillo has a history with Real Madrid: last year in the Copa final, Osasuna, Girona..."
Mourinho suggested that assigning an inexperienced referee to a high-profile derby created an impossible situation on the field.
"If the poor referee has no experience, no stature for a derby, then this man is either under no pressure, or under a kind of pressure we know nothing about," Mourinho said. "I would have liked to leave here with the win or without having to speak. I arrived here three months ago and you know I'm not usually one to go in this direction."
Comparing Sunday's fixture to earlier games, Mourinho noted that his team had overcome refereeing challenges previously but could not repeat the feat in the derby.
"Two reds against Elche and we won. Two reds today, that's already more difficult. It's a referee with only small matches behind him and a VAR official who has a history," Mourinho concluded. "Congratulations to the Refereeing Appointments Committee."
Unpunished Tackles on Bellingham and Valverde
Mourinho's photographic evidence focused heavily on two challenges by Atletico Madrid players that resulted in no red cards during the match.
The first incident involved Atletico Madrid defender Cristian Romero stepping on the knee of Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham. Although Arias reviewed the incident at the pitchside monitor, he only issued a yellow card to Romero.
A second challenge saw Atletico's Kang-In Lee step on the left ankle of Real Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde, an action that went entirely unpunished by the referee.
In contrast to the leniency shown to Atletico players, Real Madrid were reduced to ten men when defender Dean Huijsen held Giuliano Simeone in the box, leading to Alejandro Grimaldo converting the resulting penalty before Jonathan David added a second goal for Diego Simeone's side.
Club Statement and Bellingham Post-Match Anger
Real Madrid supported their manager's complaints by issuing an official club statement criticizing Ortiz Arias' officiating in strong terms.
The club stated: "Real Madrid lose the derby at the Metropolitano in a match marked by Ortiz Arias' VERY TERRIBLE REFEREEING. He failed to send off Cuti Romero in the first half for stepping on Bellingham's knee (despite going to the monitor to review the incident), nor did he send off Kang-In Lee for stepping on Valverde's left ankle. Both decisions had an impact on the match, which was ultimately decided in Atlético's favor in the second half."
The anger was equally visible among the players, with Jude Bellingham confronting referee Ortiz Arias on the pitch immediately following the final whistle.
Footage captured the England international shouting "oh my god" at the official before exclaiming "two red cards!" in frustration over the decision not to send off Romero for the tackle on his knee.
The defeat marks a turbulent moment for Mourinho, who joined Real Madrid three months ago, while Atletico Madrid celebrate a derby victory managed by Diego Simeone.
