Mbappé Declines to Criticize Referee After Madrid Derby Loss

Two goals — one by Alejandro Grimaldo, another by Jonathan David — secured a 2-1 victory for Atlético Madrid over Real Madrid at the Metropolitano on Sunday, the clubs’ final fixture before the international break.

The match marked José Mourinho’s first Madrid Derby in charge of Real Madrid, with the team traveling the short distance across the city to face Atlético.

Real Madrid players declined post-match media interviews following the final whistle, citing dissatisfaction with the officiating throughout the 90 minutes.

On Monday, Kylian Mbappé addressed the controversy publicly for the first time, during an interview with Diario AS.

What Mbappé said about the referee

“I don’t think I’ve ever been a player who talks much about the referee. I’m not going to start now,” Mbappé stated.

“I have my thoughts, but I keep them to myself. The referee is human; he makes mistakes, and those were mistakes, but I don’t want to get into that.”

Media coverage across Spain continued to focus on the derby’s aftermath, including widespread discussion of the refereeing decisions.