Atletico's Baena calls Mourinho's protest a tantrum over loss

The refereeing controversy surrounding the Madrid derby continues to dominate discussions days after Atletico Madrid secured a 2-1 victory on Sunday. Attention remains fixed on the performance of field referee Ortiz Arias and VAR official Tropeano Suarez during the match.

Mourinho’s printed evidence sparks debate

Jose Mourinho, the Real Madrid manager, drew significant scrutiny for his intense reaction immediately following the final whistle. The coach displayed printed photographs of two specific incidents, demanding red cards for Cote Romero and Kang In Lee. He argued that their challenges against Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde, respectively, warranted dismissal.

Diego Simeone, Atletico’s head coach, addressed the situation in his post-match press conference by criticizing such conduct. "We are in a privileged position with wide media coverage as coaches, and we must be careful about what we say," Simeone stated. He emphasized the need to respect referees and colleagues, adding that crossing the line of respect is unacceptable regardless of whether the individual is named Mourinho, Simeone, Flick, or Pellegrini.

Baena labels protest a sore loser act

Alex Baena, the Spanish international playing for Atletico Madrid, weighed in on the issue while attending the national team camp. Speaking clearly to Telemadrid, the player wearing the number 10 shirt asserted that the uproar was designed to distract from the actual result of the game.

According to reports from the Spanish newspaper AS, Baena characterized Mourinho’s actions as a complaint stemming from defeat. "He is complaining because he lost," Baena said. "If the tables had turned, there would not have been all this talk about the refereeing controversy." He noted that this pattern typically occurs when teams fail to handle losing gracefully.