Jose Mourinho Avoids Disciplinary Action After Derby Outburst
Jose Mourinho has walked away from his latest clash with authority without so much as a warning, after Spain’s refereeing bodies chose not to file a formal complaint over his explosive comments in the wake of Real Madrid’s derby defeat to Atletico.
The Real Madrid coach had been staring at the possibility of a serious sanction after tearing into referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias and VAR official Daniel Trujillo Suarez, questioning both their pedigree and their handling of key moments in the match.
Referees weigh it up – and step back
Mundo Deportivo reports that the refereeing union AESAF and the legal department of the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) examined Mourinho’s remarks and weighed up whether to take the matter to the federation’s Disciplinary Committee.
They chose not to.
That decision immediately lifts the threat of a suspension or fine from Mourinho’s shoulders and keeps him on the touchline at a moment when scrutiny on his Real Madrid project is already intense.
The potential complaint focused on Mourinho’s post-match assessment of the officials after the derby loss. He did not hold back. The Portuguese openly questioned Ortiz Arias’ suitability for such a high-stakes fixture, highlighting that the 41-year-old is not an international referee and had never previously overseen a game of similar magnitude.
He then turned his fire on Trujillo Suarez, the VAR official on the night, tying his criticism to previous incidents involving Real Madrid last season. The comments were sharp enough for AESAF and the CTA’s legal arm to seriously consider whether they crossed the line into punishable territory.
An investigation into the Real Madrid boss was very much on the table.
Four-match threat avoided
On Monday, that threat disappeared. After deliberations, the proposed complaint was dismissed, meaning no disciplinary process will begin and no case will hang over Mourinho in the coming weeks.
The stakes were not trivial. Had the case been opened and ultimately gone against him, Mourinho could have been hit with a suspension of up to four matches and a fine ranging from €601 to €3,005.06.
For Real Madrid, the outcome is significant. A multi-game ban for their coach, in the aftermath of a painful derby defeat, would have added another layer of instability to a season already under pressure to stay on track.
Instead, Mourinho remains free to patrol the technical area, his authority on the bench intact.
His words have stirred debate around the boundaries of criticism and respect for officials, but the refereeing authorities have drawn their own line: no escalation, no formal complaint, no ban.
Now the noise moves back where Mourinho has always preferred to fight his battles — on the pitch.
