Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid manager
Photo by Mateo Villalba Sanchez/Getty Images
Real Madrid head into the international break fourth in La Liga, behind league leaders Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis.
Los Blancos have a six-point gap to their Catalan rivals in these early stages of the season, with Hansi Flick’s team enjoying a perfect start to their campaign.
Last night’s 2-1 Madrid derby loss to Atletico Madrid left Mourinho furious with the officiating, and he went on an explosive rant in his press conference.
As quoted by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Mourinho has pointed towards a series of refereeing decisions when discussing why Madrid find themselves six points behind Barça.
Mourinho points to controversial decisions
Asked about Barcelona’s six-point advantage, Mourinho suggested the current standings could look different under other circumstances.
“Maybe in different circumstances… We’ve seen things in this stadium this week, the cancelled goal against Osasuna, the cancelled penalty in San Sebastian, the Barcelona penalty,” Mourinho said.
“Then, you have to laugh.”
Jose Mourinho, Real Madrid manager
Mourinho was certainly not happy with the refereeing decisions. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)
Mourinho had already argued that Atletico should have been reduced to nine men during the first half following challenges on Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde.
He even brought images of the incidents into his press conference to underline his complaints.
He then went one step further by pointing to refereeing decisions as the reason why his team find themselves six points behind Barça in the La Liga table after seven games.
Madrid cannot ignore the six-point gap
Mourinho’s frustration is understandable given how strongly he felt about the decisions at the Metropolitano.
The potential injury to Federico Valverde following one of those challenges is only bound to add fuel to the fire after what was already an emotionally charged game.
However, refereeing decisions cannot fully explain a league table. Whatever Mourinho thinks about individual decisions, the performances have left a lot to be desired.
Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid player
Players like Vinicius Jr. have to step up for Real Madrid after the international break. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
That does not mean refereeing discussions are irrelevant. Major decisions can influence tight matches and, over an entire season, potentially valuable points.
Six points at this stage of the campaign are recoverable, especially with so much football still to play. However, Madrid’s attitude needs to change.
Barça have given themselves valuable early breathing room, and Madrid can no longer afford many afternoons like the one they experienced at the Metropolitano.
The onus is now on Mourinho to take control of the situation and ensure that his team can put in more consistent performances after the three-week international break.
Real Madrid captain suffers injury blow after controversial Atletico Madrid derby tackle
Federico Valverde, Real Madrid player
Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images
Real Madrid’s derby defeat to Atletico Madrid came under controversial circumstances, with refereeing decisions taking centre stage.
Los Blancos lost 2-1 to Atletico Madrid after being reduced to 10 men in the second half, with Dean Huijsen receiving a red card.
Their derby defeat to Los Colchoneros has brought another significant setback, with Fede Valverde expected to spend the next few weeks on the sidelines.
According to Guillermo Rai of The Athletic, Valverde is expected to miss between two and three weeks after suffering an injury to his left ankle following Kang-in Lee’s challenge.
Valverde facing spell on the sidelines
The injury occurred during a derby already surrounded by refereeing controversy from a Real Madrid perspective.
Kang-in’s challenge on Valverde was one of the incidents Jose Mourinho highlighted after the match.
Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni of Real Madrid
Federico Valverde was on the receiving end of a rash challenge against Atletico Madrid . (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
The Madrid coach argued that the tackle deserved a red card, even producing an image of it during his post-match press conference.
Valverde has now been left with an ankle problem as a result of the challenge. A two-to-three-week lay-off, though, should not affect Madrid in the immediate future.
Uruguay call-up now unlikely
Valverde is also not expected to travel with Uruguay for the upcoming international break.
Madrid staff do not anticipate the midfielder joining his national team, meaning he should instead remain at the club and focus entirely on his recovery.
The timing of the international break therefore works in Madrid’s favour. Valverde can potentially complete a significant part of his rehabilitation without missing as many club matches.
Even so, Valverde is one of the players Mourinho would rather not lose.
His physical intensity, ability to cover enormous spaces and tactical versatility give Madrid qualities that are difficult to replicate with one replacement.
His leadership qualities as the captain of this side also cannot be understated as Los Blancos look to become more consistent after the break.
Federico Valverde, Real Madrid player
Players need to be protected better by referees in La Liga. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
It could have been worse
Valverde’s injury proves yet again that the refereeing in La Liga needs to step up a notch to bring player welfare to the forefront.
If challenges causing injuries such as this one go scot-free, it provides further incentive for players to turn the game into a physical battle.
Madrid may have lucked out this time, with the injury coming on the cusp of the international break and shielding Valverde from a prolonged absence.
However, on another occasion, such a challenge could end up having catastrophic consequences for Madrid, and it remains to be seen how long Valverde takes before he recovers and returns to action for Mourinho’s team.