Real Madrid News
Mourinho points to refereeing decisions when explaining Real Madrid’s six-point gap to Barcelona: ‘You have to laugh’
Real Madrid head into the international break fourth in La Liga, behind league leaders Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Betis.
Los Blancos have a six-point gap to their Catalan rivals in these early stages of the season, with Hansi Flick’s team enjoying a perfect start to their campaign.
Last night’s 2-1 Madrid derby loss to Atletico Madrid left Mourinho furious with the officiating, and he went on an explosive rant in his press conference.
As quoted by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Mourinho has pointed towards a series of refereeing decisions when discussing why Madrid find themselves six points behind Barça.
Mourinho points to controversial decisions
Asked about Barcelona’s six-point advantage, Mourinho suggested the current standings could look different under other circumstances.
“Maybe in different circumstances… We’ve seen things in this stadium this week, the cancelled goal against Osasuna, the cancelled penalty in San Sebastian, the Barcelona penalty,” Mourinho said.
“Then, you have to laugh.”
Mourinho had already argued that Atletico should have been reduced to nine men during the first half following challenges on Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde.
He even brought images of the incidents into his press conference to underline his complaints.
He then went one step further by pointing to refereeing decisions as the reason why his team find themselves six points behind Barça in the La Liga table after seven games.
Madrid cannot ignore the six-point gap
Mourinho’s frustration is understandable given how strongly he felt about the decisions at the Metropolitano.
The potential injury to Federico Valverde following one of those challenges is only bound to add fuel to the fire after what was already an emotionally charged game.
However, refereeing decisions cannot fully explain a league table. Whatever Mourinho thinks about individual decisions, the performances have left a lot to be desired.
That does not mean refereeing discussions are irrelevant. Major decisions can influence tight matches and, over an entire season, potentially valuable points.
Six points at this stage of the campaign are recoverable, especially with so much football still to play. However, Madrid’s attitude needs to change.
Barça have given themselves valuable early breathing room, and Madrid can no longer afford many afternoons like the one they experienced at the Metropolitano.
The onus is now on Mourinho to take control of the situation and ensure that his team can put in more consistent performances after the three-week international break.
In a major update, AS reports that former Real Madrid midfielder and club legend Toni Kroos has taken his first step towards starting his coaching career.
The former Germany international has told the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that he is interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers.
Real Madrid tried to bring Kroos back
It is no secret that Real Madrid considered bringing Toni Kroos back into the club’s structure after the end of the last season.
The club president, Florentino Perez, had wanted Kroos to have a daily presence at Valdebebas rather than making occasional appearances after his retirement.
Jose Angel Sanchez and Kroos spoke after Perez expressed his desire to see the German working at Valdebebas every day. However, they did not find the right moment, time or structure to give his return a clear form.
A comeback remains one of the possibilities most desired by Madrid supporters because of Kroos’ charisma and what he represents at the Santiago Bernabeu. Neither side wanted him to return simply for the sake of it, so the door remains open for the future.
The relationship between the two parties is excellent, and both know that the opportunity to work together again will eventually come.
Taking it step by step
For now, Kroos continues to run the academy he established in Boadilla, enjoying the opportunity to help develop younger players.
After two years away from the competitive side of football, however, he is beginning to look towards the dugout as a possible next step in his career.
Kroos currently holds coaching qualifications that allow him to work up to the third tier of Spanish football.
This is possible because professionals with at least seven years of proven experience and significant involvement at the elite level can gain direct access to accelerated coaching courses.
That means Kroos could coach a team in Primera Federacion, but the German wants to take things gradually.
Kroos has already informed the RFEF that he would be interested in joining the coaching course reserved for professional footballers during the 2027/28 season.
The course taking place this season is not available to elite former players, with UEFA limiting each campaign to 20 places.
With his current qualifications, Kroos could work as an assistant coach, but he cannot yet take charge as a head coach in either the top flight or the Segunda División.
But completing that programme would allow Kroos to obtain the UEFA A licence, which would enable him to coach teams at any level.
