Jose Mourinho Questions Job Ochieng Handball Decision After Real Madrid Derby Defeat

José Mourinho has questioned the controversial handball decision involving Kenyan defender Job Ochieng, using the incident as part of a wider criticism of refereeing decisions after Atlético Madrid's 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in a heated derby at the Metropolitano on Sunday.

The Real Madrid manager argued that the ball had first deflected off Ochieng's own leg before striking his arm, suggesting the decision should not have gone against the player.

Mourinho said he preferred to believe that the officials and the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) had simply made mistakes, but made clear his frustration with what he described as a series of questionable decisions.

While he stopped short of alleging deliberate wrongdoing by officials, Mourinho's comments reflected his growing frustration with the decisions surrounding his team and other matches.

The manager maintained that he would rather attribute the disputed calls to errors than suggest any deliberate attempt to influence matches.

"I don't want to think that anything was premeditated," he said, as quoted by One Football.

Speaking at his post-match press conference, Mourinho further launched strong criticism of the refereeing performance and questioned the process used by the CTA to appoint officials for major matches.

He noted that the referee for the derby had been announced a week before the match, rather than the usual 24-hour notice.

Mourinho also questioned the decision to assign a 41-year-old referee without international experience to such a high-pressure fixture, arguing that the official struggled under the intensity of the occasion.

The Portuguese manager felt that the major decisions during the match consistently went in Atlético's favour.

Mourinho specifically argued that both Romero and Kang In Lee should have been shown straight red cards.

"Playing eleven against ten was difficult enough," Mourinho stated, "imagine what it would have been like to play eleven against nine for 50 minutes."

The comments came after Atlético secured the derby victory, leaving Mourinho particularly critical of the officials' handling of several key incidents.

The Real Madrid boss also referred to a number of recent refereeing incidents that he described as "laughable".

Consulting his notes during the press conference, Mourinho cited a disallowed goal involving Osasuna, a penalty decision in Atlético's match against Real Sociedad in San Sebastián, and a penalty awarded to Barcelona.

He used the incidents to reinforce his argument that his concerns were not limited to Sunday's derby.