José Mourinho aims to cool things down after Vinícius’ red in Real Madrid–Villarreal

José Mourinho, on the Real Madrid bench, wants the outrage over refereeing decisions and the protests to stop turning into a problem for his team after the 1-0 win over Villarreal. The match also brought a disciplinary tally of six yellow cards and one red, including Vinícius’ sending off following a VAR check.

The frustration began right after a goal that would have made it 2-0: Mourinho moved from celebrating with Vinícius to putting his hands on his head when the VAR overturned the action and the Brazilian was ultimately dismissed. From then on, the tension spiked—protests multiplied, the bench raised the intensity, and Real Madrid had to hold on with ten men. “If in every action you’re asking for something... the referee is a human being and can make an error,” Foyth said after the game.

Silence to protect his presence

After the final whistle, Mourinho chose not to speak to the media. According to MARCA, that was intended to avoid statements that could lead to a ban and jeopardise his availability for the Clásico. In the dressing room, the win didn’t erase the anger: the feeling that some calls were unfair sat alongside the relief of taking three important points, while Mourinho’s focus is on channeling the emotions and staying concentrated on the pitch.