Mourinho Questions Penalty Decisions for Barcelona, Atlético; Rejects

Real Madrid head coach José Mourinho cast doubt on the legitimacy of penalty kicks awarded to direct rivals Barcelona and Atlético Madrid during this week’s La Liga fixtures. Speaking at his Monday press conference, he expressed surprise that journalists had not raised the issue during the session.

Penalty decisions under scrutiny

Barcelona defeated Levante 4–2 on Sunday. Lamine Yamal scored from the spot after falling following contact with defender Issa Mandi; prior to the incident, Yamal had also appealed for a handball. Separately, Atlético Madrid beat Real Sociedad 3–0, with Alejandro Grimaldo opening the scoring from a penalty in the 84th minute after a handball by substitute Job Ouching. Real Sociedad manager Bernd Schuster — referred to in the source as “Pelligrino Matarazzo” — protested the decision post-match.

Mourinho’s direct challenge to media

Mourinho concluded his pre-Elche press briefing — scheduled ahead of Tuesday’s match — by addressing reporters: “No questions about penalties? Isn’t that strange?”

Context of prior controversy

This stance follows a similar query from the Portuguese coach last week regarding why a retaken penalty was not granted after Kylian Mbappé missed one in Real Madrid’s loss to Real Betis. Spain’s refereeing committee later upheld the original decision.

No rest planned for attacking trio

Tactically, Mourinho confirmed he has no intention of resting forwards Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and Vinícius Júnior against Elche, despite fixture congestion. “I have strong confidence in the players’ awareness of their physical condition,” he said. “We have only two days between matches, so we rely on medical assessments and training data — and if there are no impediments, they will play.”

Praise for Arda Güler’s impact

Mourinho also commended Arda Güler’s performance after coming on as a substitute against Rayo Vallecano on Saturday — a display that intensified calls for him to start. “His quality is unbelievable,” the coach stated. “He possesses vision and decision-making ability, and brings stability and creativity to the team’s play. He has enormous potential, placing him among the highest levels.”