Mourinho Pokes Fun at Atletico Penalty: "No Questions? Strange, Right?"

Nobody asked him about the penalties, and that, of all things, was what caught his attention most. Jose Mourinho, the Real Madrid manager, didn't let the moment pass. Just as he was wrapping up Monday's press conference, he dropped the line everyone ended up talking about: "No questions about the penalties? Strange, right?"

The comment didn't come out of nowhere. The Portuguese coach was referring to two plays that generated plenty of discussion during Matchday 5 of LaLiga: the foul called in favor of Barcelona for a challenge by a Levante player on Lamine Yamal, and the penalty awarded to Atletico Madrid during their trip to Real Sociedad. Two refereeing decisions that ended up benefiting Real Madrid's direct rivals in the title race, and ones Mourinho didn't hesitate to bring up with his usual irony.

The play at Anoeta is the one that generated the most noise. The match between Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid was scoreless at 0-0 when, in the 82nd minute, the key moment arrived: following a cross into the box, Job Ochieng tried to control the ball, which first grazed his thigh and then struck his hand. The referee reviewed the play on VAR and ultimately decided to point to the spot. Alejandro Grimaldo made no mistake from twelve yards, making it 0-1. From there, things fell apart completely for the home side: Atletico ended up taking all three points with a resounding 0-3, with the goals coming in the final ten minutes of the match.

What the Refereeing Committee Said

Spain's Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) reviewed the Ochieng play and fully backed both the referee and the VAR. According to the body's explanation, Cuti Romero played the ball with his head, it lightly grazed the Real Sociedad player's thigh, and continued on its original path until it struck his arm, which was "open and extended in an unnatural position."

"It's a graze off the thigh, not a deliberate play of the ball, it's not playing the ball. It's a penalty, and the referee got it right."Technical Committee of Referees

With that official backing, the decision was validated, though that didn't stop the play from continuing to fuel debate ahead of the next matchday. Mourinho, who knows exactly how to handle these situations in front of the media, used his press conference to make his position clear without needing to elaborate. With a single line, he left the controversy simmering and put the spotlight on an issue that, for many Real Madrid fans, is already starting to feel like it's happening far too often this season.