Referees' committee vindicates Real Madrid, ruling that Atletico deserved a red card

The Technical Referees Committee of the Spanish Football Federation has settled its position on the most controversial refereeing incidents during the "Madrid Derby" between Real Madrid and their neighbors and hosts, Atlético Madrid (1-2), in the seventh round of the domestic league, following a review of the decisions that sparked widespread objections after the match ended.

The committee concluded that Atlético’s South Korean midfielder, Lee Kang-in, deserved a red card and dismissal for his violent challenge on Uruguay’s Federico Valverde, in one of the most prominent moments that triggered refereeing controversy during the clash between the two giants of the Spanish capital, according to the Spanish newspaper AS.

Regarding the incident involving Atlético’s Argentine defender, Cristian Romero, the referees’ committee believed the foul could have warranted a red card, but at the same time considered the situation not clear enough, thereby deciding to understand referee Miguel Ortiz’s decision and not hold him responsible for the error in judgment.

The referees’ committee’s review of these incidents comes in the wake of the controversy surrounding the "Madrid Derby," as the match featured several refereeing decisions that sparked extensive debate over their accuracy and the referee’s assessment during the encounter, particularly from the two managers, Portugal’s José Mourinho (Real Madrid) and Argentina’s Diego Simeone (Atlético Madrid).

Mourinho had brought photos of the challenges on both England’s Jude Bellingham and Valverde, demanding the players’ dismissal, during the post-match press conference, while criticizing the referees’ committee for appointing Ortiz as the on-field referee and Daniel Trujillo as the video assistant referee.

For his part, Simeone called for self-restraint when asked about Mourinho’s remarks regarding refereeing.

Simeone said in the post-match press conference: "Whoever is speaking, whether it is me, Mourinho, or anyone else, we must be careful with what we say. When we cross the line of respect, whoever we are, it is unacceptable; that line cannot be crossed."

Simeone preferred to focus on his team’s performance, stating: "We witnessed a great match and defended excellently against a team that plays very good football."

He added: "We controlled the match when it was 11 against 11, and we continued to control it when it became 10 against 11, but this is just another step in the path of growth and development."

Mourinho had stated that if two Atlético players had been sent off, the result would have been a Real Madrid victory, as "miracles do not happen in football when you play 11 against 9."

The club stated in a statement that tests conducted on Valverde showed he suffered a severe injury to his left ankle. It added that the player would undergo further tests in the coming hours.

With the win, Atlético moved up to second place with 16 points, five points behind leaders Barcelona, and one point ahead of Real Madrid and Real Betis.