LaLiga informed the media at the Santiago Bernabéu that the Real Madrid coach would not be appearing after he failed to arrive around 40 minutes after the final whistle. No Madrid player spoke to the press either, continuing a pattern reported around the club this season.
According to Marca, Mourinho decided to remain silent because he wanted to avoid jeopardising his availability for upcoming matches.
“I’m not going to speak because I want to sit on the bench against Sevilla and Barcelona,” he reportedly said.
The Portuguese coach was visibly angry with referee Isidro Díaz de Mera during the match, with Vinícius Júnior’s dismissal proving the flashpoint. The Brazilian had a second goal ruled out after a VAR review identified a hair-pull on Villarreal defender Nathan Saliba earlier in the move. Vinícius was then shown a straight red card.
The decision intensified the tension surrounding the game, with Madrid already frustrated by refereeing decisions in their previous derby against Atlético Madrid. Mourinho had believed Atlético should have been reduced to nine players in that match, according to the report.
The atmosphere inside the Bernabéu deteriorated after Vinícius’s dismissal. Supporters repeatedly directed chants at Spanish football authorities, including the federation and LaLiga president Javier Tebas, while the decision prompted a loud reaction from the stands.
The disallowed goal and sending-off became the main talking points despite Madrid securing all three points through Yan Diomande’s second-half strike.
Mourinho’s decision not to face the media appeared designed to give him time to cool down rather than risk making comments in the immediate aftermath of the controversy.
Marca reported that he was expected to have another opportunity to speak before Madrid’s Champions League match against Roma, although he might still choose not to discuss the incident.
Madrid’s victory kept them in the title race, but the closing stages were overshadowed by the disciplinary decision and the anger it provoked among the home supporters.
Vinícius’s dismissal also left Mourinho facing the prospect of being without the forward for upcoming domestic fixtures, depending on the disciplinary outcome.
The coach’s absence meant that Madrid’s perspective on the officiating was not presented at the scheduled post-match press conference. The club’s frustration, however, was evident from the reaction inside the stadium.