Atletico Madrid responded, almost 24 hours after their victory in the Madrid derby, to the controversy over refereeing sparked by José Mourinho at the end of the match. The “Colchoneros” ironically used on social media an image of a printer, referring to what the “Special One” himself had done in the post-match press conference. Atletico published the image of that moment with a clear message: “Enough with the harassment of referees now.”
In that case, Mourinho had attacked the referees for the appointment of Ortiz Arias and had presented some photos, printed a little earlier, related to the actions of the game for which he had allegations. A moment that generated many comments on social networks, as many people asked where the Portuguese coach had found a printer to produce those images. That is precisely why Atletico Madrid started the video of their response to Real precisely with a printer.
The “Colchoneros” believe that the complaints are exaggerated in relation to what happened in the derby; in particular, they believe that Real Madrid is not at all the most appropriate club to talk about bias in refereeing. There are some actions from previous derbies that, according to those who work at the “Metropolitano”, have been to their disadvantage.
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) September 21, 2026
Why Atletico Madrid decided to respond this way
Atletico Madrid, as usual, decided to respond to what had happened in a completely original way. The club often delights fans with sarcastic posts or initiatives that each time generate thousands of reactions.
In this case, Atletico wanted to undermine the Portuguese Mourinho's move to downplay his team's defeat in the Madrid derby, highlighting only the refereeing errors. A way to make him look ridiculous in the eyes of the fans, presenting that gesture as a pathetic attempt to not accept the defeat and the superiority shown on the field by coach Simeone's team.
#StopAcosoArbitralYA pic.twitter.com/dqH7ldaes5
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) September 21, 2026
Atletico Madrid's move came after receiving the "assistance" of their coach, Diego Simeone, who responded to Special One at the end of the match: "Not everything is allowed. It doesn't matter who you are - Mourinho, Flick or Simeone -, crossing the line of respect is unacceptable," the Argentine coach declared at the press conference at the "Metropolitano". Now, Atletico itself has accepted the challenge with an ironic post that once again brings attention to the refereeing controversy that accompanied the derby, already igniting the return match.
