Mourinho argued the two first-half decisions had a significant impact on the match, insisting his team had shown character despite the circumstances.
The first incident Mourinho referenced involved Real’s Jude Bellingham and Atleti’s Cristian Romero in the 37th minute, when both players challenged for a loose ball and the clash ended with Bellingham being shown a yellow card.
At the time, Mourinho pleaded with the referee for a red card to be shown to the Argentina international for dangerous foul play, because replays showed Romero made contact with his studs on Bellingham’s knee. Bellingham’s yellow card was retracted after a video assistant referee review and Romero was given a yellow.
The second was for a challenge by Atletico’s Lee Kang-in on Fede Valverde, which Mourinho believed should have been a straight red card.
The Portuguese also questioned the appointment of the match officials, saying he wanted to believe the decisions were mistakes rather than deliberate.
“I want to believe they are simply mistakes, just as a coach makes mistakes, just as a player makes mistakes,” he said.
Despite the defeat, Mourinho said he had no complaints about his players’ commitment and praised their performance, particularly in the first half.
“I liked my team as a unit. Even in the first half I really liked them, and in the second half it was obviously very difficult to get the ball and to stop Atleti’s possession. I liked their pride, I liked their determination, and it’s a good feeling for me to not be disappointed in my players”.
Mourinho also addressed the dismissal of Dean Huijsen, which awarded Atletico a penalty, admitting he had not yet watched the VAR replay.
The defeat leaves Real Madrid fourth in the league standings, with Atletico second – five points behind league leaders Barcelona.
Yet Mourinho was keen to stress that there was still a long way to go in the season.
“Under normal circumstances, it’s not about how it starts, it’s about how it ends,” he said.