Mourinho Criticizes VAR Following Real Madrid Loss to Betis Ahead of Inter Clash

Real Madrid manager José Mourinho criticized the VAR officials following a recent 1 to 0 defeat against Betis, questioning whether the officials were ignorant of the rules or intentionally chose not to apply them. The controversy centers on a late penalty saved by goalkeeper Álvaro Valles from Kylian Mbappé, which Mourinho believes should have been retaken due to an encroachment violation. While the Technical Committee of Referees clarified that the player in question did not have both feet inside the area at the moment of the strike, Mourinho argued that the failure to repeat the penalty was strange. He stated that if the VAR did not know the rules, they should go home, and if they chose not to apply them, it is even worse. Mourinho also questioned why captain Vinicius was given a yellow card and why he was not allowed to approach the referee for an explanation. These comments came during a press conference on Monday ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League match against Inter Milan on Tuesday. Mourinho acknowledged that the team did not lose solely because of the penalty, noting that they failed to convert offensive production into goals. He also reflected on the team's psychological state, describing the players as dead in the locker room after the loss in Seville but recovered during Sunday's training. A center left source framed the event as a return to Mourinho's provocative 2011 style of complaining, while a center right source focused more on the technical details of the match and Mourinho's goals for the current Champions League campaign.