Jose Mourinho hits out at refereeing ‘criteria’ after Real Madrid fall to shock defeat against Real Betis
Madrid dominated possession but struggled to find a breakthrough, with both Vinicius Jr and Mbappe hitting the woodwork. Tensions boiled over late on when Carlos Espi had a spectacular acrobatic finish ruled out for offside just moments before the decisive penalty incident. Mourinho admitted his coaching staff were left furious by the late decisions after reviewing the footage in the dugout.
“The penalty situation, the retaken penalty, Espí’s goal – I don’t know, I can’t say,” Mourinho added. “I saw a lot of frustration on the bench from people watching the plays on the tablet. I haven’t seen them, so I can’t comment.
“It seemed like the referee let the game flow, which is something I like. In that sense, I always prefer a referee who lets the game flow. But the criteria for yellow cards in the first half.”
