Deserved or harsh? A refereeing expert reveals his opinion to Koora on the punishment of the Madrid derby referee | Goal.com

Published on 22 Sep 2026 | Reading time: 4 minutes

Former Portuguese referee Bruno Paixao has given his verdict on the controversy that erupted after the derby between Real Madrid and hosts Atletico Madrid in the Spanish league.

Real Madrid lost the match at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium last Sunday, the standout fixture of the seventh round. Anger swept through the Royal club over what it branded "refereeing injustice" from Spanish referee Ortiz Arias.

Three refereeing flashpoints defined the game. The first was Atletico Madrid defender Cristian Romero's challenge on the knee of Real Madrid playmaker Jude Bellingham.

Ortiz Arias initially showed a yellow card to Bellingham, then went to the video technology room after realising he had booked the wrong player. He switched the decision to a yellow for Romero, stopping short of a red.

Fede Valverde was next. The Real Madrid midfield star was trampled by a violent challenge from Atletico's Kang-in Lee, yet the referee produced no card at all.

The third incident came when Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen obstructed home player Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area. The referee pointed to the spot, then added a red card after consulting his colleague in the video assistant room.

Real Madrid did not hide their fury at the decisions of the Spanish referee, who was taking charge of the derby for the first time. That anger poured out through coach Jose Mourinho in the press conference, the club channel, and an official statement from the management.

Mourinho turned up to the press conference clutching two pictures, showing the Romero and Kang-in Lee challenges on Bellingham and Valverde, and tore into the referee.

The Portuguese coach said: "It is clear that these two fouls deserved two red cards. The match should have become 11 players against 9 players for 50 minutes, but instead it became 11 against 10 against us."

He added: "Mr Trujillo, the video assistant referee, who did not call the referee to review the red card situation for Kang-in Lee, has a very strange story with Real Madrid."

Mourinho continued: "Just look at last season, in many matches against Real Madrid, as for the poor referee Ortiz, it is clear that he cannot handle the pressure in matches of this kind."

The Real Madrid channel went further, insisting Romero's challenge on Bellingham warranted a straight red before slamming Ortiz Arias for settling on a yellow. After the replay, it fumed: "What a disgrace.. what filth.. a yellow card for Romero?".

Nor did the channel stop there. It returned to Kang-in Lee's challenge on Valverde, arguing the Atletico man also deserved to walk, and concluded the team should have finished the game with nine players across the two flashpoints.

Real Madrid said in their official statement: "We lost a derby at the Metropolitano stadium, marred by catastrophic refereeing decisions from Ortiz Arias, who did not send off Cuti Romero in the first half for trampling on Bellingham's knee, despite reviewing the incident on the video technology screen, nor Kang-in Lee for trampling on Valverde's left ankle.. the two decisions were decisive, and the match was ultimately settled in the second half in favour of Atletico Madrid."

Paixao gave his own reading in special statements to Kooora. On the Bellingham and Romero incident, he said: "In fact, the Atletico Madrid player challenged forcefully with his right foot against the opponent, and it could have caused a serious injury to the knee."

He added: "The referee here erred, it deserves a red card, not a yellow one."

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On the Valverde and Kang-in Lee clash, the former Portuguese referee went on: "In my opinion, the Atletico player committed a foul, and the case rises to the level of violent play that warrants a sending off."

He continued: "He placed his foot forcefully and violently on the leg of the Real Madrid player. He deserves a red card. And the video assistant referee should have asked the referee to go and review the video to change his decision and show the red card."

As for the Atletico penalty and the sending off of Huijsen, he commented: "The pictures are clear. The decision is correct: a penalty kick and a red card. The defender held the attacker who was in control of the ball and was facing the goal."

Spanish press reports claimed the referees' committee had admitted the official's errors in the match, saying he mishandled the biggest incidents.

According to those reports, the committee will punish him by leaving him out of any match in the eighth and ninth rounds of the Liga at the very least.

Asked whether he sees the punishment as deserved, Paixao replied: "Professional sport is fundamentally based on performance. If you deliver a good performance, you get a chance to officiate another match, and when your performance level drops below the evaluation standards, you are excluded. That is how things go for referees, players, medical staff and others."

He added: "From this standpoint, I consider the punishment a natural decision in an environment that requires high levels of performance and is characterised by intense competitiveness."

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Born in 1974, Bruno Paixao is one of Portugal's most prominent former referees, having taken charge of matches in a host of notable competitions, including the Portuguese league and various European fixtures.

His refereeing career ran from 1990 to 2018. He officiated his first match in the Portuguese Primeira Liga in 1997, before making his name on the domestic and continental stage.

Paixao held the international badge between 2004 and 2012 and ranked among the first category referees in the Union of European Football Associations during the 2012-2013 season, officiating across a wide range of domestic and international competitions.

Away from the pitch, he worked as an engineer in industrial production, juggling that career with his long spell in refereeing.

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