Real Madrid has sparked controversy after losing 2-1 to Atlético de Madrid at the Metropolitano. The club used the official match report on its website to issue a forceful complaint, explicitly headlining the game: “A dreadful refereeing performance decides the derby.”

In the statement, the Madrid club directly attacked the decisions made by referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias and VAR official Trujillo Suárez. The report especially complained that the referee spared the home side several red cards during the first half.

The decisive moment came after the break with a penalty awarded to Atlético. Following VAR intervention, the referee went to the monitor and overturned his initial decision to send off Real Madrid centre-back Dean Huijsen with a straight red card.

The strongly worded publication immediately triggered a wave of reactions across Spanish football. While those around Real Madrid backed the club’s outrage, Atlético coach Diego Simeone responded by calling for respect for the referees’ work.

With this explicit headline on its official channels, Real Madrid has taken a step forward and raised institutional tensions. The statement sets a clear precedent of frustration over the refereeing performances it has received on the biggest stages.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.