Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has shifted from his early-season conciliatory approach to a more combative style following a match against Villarreal and subsequent refereeing controversies, according to reports published by El Correo.
The Bernabéu Metamorphosis from Peace to Pressure
Mourinho began his second tenure in the Spanish capital adopting an unusually relaxed profile. During a sweltering pre-season at Valdebebas, the Portuguese coach avoided a traditional grand presentation and even handed out water to media members covering the club. This low-key existence carried over into the competitive schedule, surviving early-season victories that relied on late goals, including a hard-fought opening win against Espanyol. No trace of the old Mourinho, who turned the League upside down between 2010 and 2013, appeared until the Portuguese manager used his pre-match press conference ahead of the third matchday against Málaga to campaign for Kylian Mbappé to win the Ballon d’Or, as Mbappé had already kicked off his own campaign for the most coveted individual award. The first public sign of his signature siege mentality emerged then.
Refereeing Controversies Ignite Touchline Tension
The peaceful atmosphere eroded following Real Madrid’s first defeat of the season against Real Betis at La Cartuja, where Mbappé missed a late penalty and the club protested a perceived penalty-area invasion by Betis defender Marc Bartra. Mourinho labeled his squad “naïf” following that loss. Tensions escalated sharply during the Madrid derby against Atlético at the Metropolitano, where referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias drew heavy criticism from the visitors for not issuing red cards to Kang-in Lee and Cristian Romero for challenges on Federico Valverde and Jude Bellingham. Mourinho entered the post-match press conference carrying a printed sheet containing images of both fouls to berate the officiating crew and VAR. By then, brutal referee criticism had not yet entered the scene beyond some references to the Negreira case.
Vinícius Júnior Faces Heavy Ban After Villarreal Red Card
The friction boiled over during the home fixture against Villarreal at the Santiago Bernabéu, where the atmosphere was fraught with tension, marked by continuous protests from the local bench toward referee Díaz de Mera Escuderos and even an old-school celebration as Mourinho ran down the sideline to embrace Vinícius when he scored the 2-0 goal. The referee’s account exposes Vinícius to a suspension lasting between two and three matches, which would rule him out of the upcoming El Clásico at Camp Nou.
The El Clásico Horizon and Classic Mourinho
Frustrated by the officiating and the subsequent dismissal, Mourinho walked out of his post-match media duties without taking questions, completing a full reversion to his trademark confrontational persona just two weeks ahead of the fixture against Barcelona. The UEFA delivery of Real Madrid’s dossier concerning the Negreira case during the recent international break further fueled the club’s siege mentality, setting a high-stakes backdrop for the upcoming clash at Camp Nou.
