Mourinho slams refereeing after Real Madrid's Clasico victory

Real Madrid defeated FC Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday in a Liga Clasico, powered by a Kylian Mbappé brace on the eve of the 2026 Ballon d’Or. The Merengue have closed to within three points of Barcelona at the top. But it was José Mourinho who stole the show at his press conference, lashing out at the match officials.

The Special One, spotted sliding on his knees across the pitch to celebrate the victory, quickly changed tone once the final whistle sounded. His target: a stamp by Joao Cancelo on Yan Diomandé’s calf in the 60th minute, which the VAR failed to punish. “The VAR was asleep in the 60th minute,” he said. “There should have been a very clear red card for Cancelo on Diomandé, it would have changed the match.”

Despite this outburst, the Portuguese manager was keen to praise his team’s collective display. “First and foremost, it was a great match, a very high-level encounter, a match that all football lovers probably watched between two teams that played to win,” he analyzed. “My players delivered an extraordinary performance, being very organized and focused, with the courage to build cleanly from the back against an opponent pressing hard.”

Aware of the symbolic weight of a victory at Camp Nou, Mourinho nevertheless refused to get carried away. “Real Madrid doesn’t play to win at Camp Nou. Real Madrid plays to win La Liga. That’s the mentality we need to adopt,” he reminded. “We must continue on this momentum and not let ourselves get swept up in euphoria after this victory.”