October 11
Mourinho Avoids Discussing Refereeing Ahead of El Clásico
Real Madrid coach José Mourinho decided not to attend the post-match press conference following the Villarreal game, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Los Blancos at the Santiago Bernabéu in the eighth round of La Liga.
Spanish sources reported that La Liga announced Mourinho's absence 40 minutes after the final whistle, as the Portuguese coach failed to appear at the Bernabéu press conference room.
Likewise, no Real Madrid player made any statements, a scene that has become commonplace this season.
But the biggest news concerns Mourinho, who, according to Spanish newspapers, preferred not to speak, fearing that his comments about the refereeing could lead to a penalty.
The coach said, "I won't speak because I want to be on the bench against Sevilla and Barcelona."
The Portuguese coach was furious with referee Diaz de Mira's performance, a fact that was evident during the match. Vinicius's red card proved to be the final straw.
Mourinho had already been angry since the derby match, in which he felt Atlético Madrid deserved to finish with nine men. However, the Brazilian player's dismissal for pulling Saliba's hair only intensified the Portuguese coach's anger.
Frustration with the refereeing system is growing within Real Madrid with each passing round, especially as the Negreira incident continues to loom large.
In this tense atmosphere, Mourinho opted to remain silent and take a breath, postponing his media appearance until next Tuesday's press conference ahead of the Champions League match against Roma.
