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Jose Mourinho's 'Siege Mentality 2.0' at Real Madrid isn't working this time
23 Sep 2026 01:01 CDT |
6 min read
Analysis
We have all had the pleasure of watching Jose Mourinho for over two decades now and we all know what will eventually happen at some point in his tenure at a club - he will attempt to create a siege mentality.
That kind of 'us against the world' mindset was the backbone of him truly hitting the big time with Chelsea and it was his supreme desire to get one over Blues owner Roman Abramovich, after being sacked, that gave him the drive to go to Inter Milan and win the Champions League to prove himself as one of the top two coaches in the world (alongside his arch rival Pep Guardiola at the time, of course).
The idea behind this is to bring players together, increase loyalty to the manager and motivate the team to prove any critics or doubters wrong.
Throughout his career, especially at Chelsea, Inter and in his first spell with Real Madrid, he targeted referee decisions and openly suggested officials were against his teams.
At Madrid between 2010 and 2013, his siege mentality became even more confrontational. Real Madrid were competing against Guardiola’s highly successful Barcelona side, and Mourinho frequently criticised the Blaugrana, officials, UEFA and sections of the media.
He often suggested that Real Madrid were being treated unfairly. This created a highly emotional rivalry and helped motivate the team to eventually win La Liga in 2012, although it also contributed to considerable conflict both inside and outside the club.
Here we are in 2026
It's probably happened a bit sooner than expected, but Mourinho is embracing the siege mentality again in his second spell in charge of Real Madrid and has catalysed a coordinated attack against refereeing standards in Spain following the Madrid derby on Sunday.
He undoubtedly has the right to feel aggrieved following the 2-1 loss against Atletico. Kang-in Lee should definitely have been sent off for a tackle on Federico Valverde, while Cristian Romero was perhaps lucky to escape further punishment after going in high on Jude Bellingham during a 50-50.
The first was a certain red card, the other is up for debate.
But, those decisions gave Mourinho the excuse he needed to completely ignore his side's lackadaisical display to focus on refereeing. In the post-match press conference, he held two printed pictures of the tackles for the press to see.
"We can skip the press conference because the story of the match is right here," Mourinho said as he showed the media the printed images.
"Those were two clear red cards. Given the difficulties we faced afterwards playing 11 against 10, we can only imagine what 50 minutes of 11 against nine would have been like."
Dean Huijsen had been sent off earlier in the game for a last-man foul on Giuliano Simeone.
Jose Mourinho began his press conference with pictures of two fouls committed by Atleti players that he says should have been red cards. pic.twitter.com/JfP6tn1SEC
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 20, 2026
Atletico and La Liga respond
Atletico Madrid, who have been having fun on their social media over the last few months, trolling Barcelona at every opportunity after they failed to sign Julian Alvarez, posted a video on X of someone printing out a picture of Mourinho with the words "STOP REFEREE HARASSMENT NOW" under an image of him at the press conference.
La Liga president Javier Tebas then responded to an article by Real Madrid-leaning outlet El Debate, which suggested there was a "conspiracy against Los Blancos.
"Claiming that referees are directed against Real Madrid is living in another galaxy," Tebas said on social media.
"That narrative serves as an excuse to cover up other shortcomings that are plain to see in these first matches of the season.
"It's more comfortable to point to a conspiracy than to explain what's happening on the pitch."
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) September 21, 2026
Madrid are down in fourth at the moment as the defeat against Atletico means they have lost two of their seven matches so far. They are already six points adrift of Barcelona, who have made a flying start to the campaign with seven wins out of seven.
There are more worrying signs than that to consider, though, as La Liga TV posted a graphic which suggested Real Madrid are bottom of the league for running distance covered this season and last for high-presses also.
On average, they run 21km less, per game, than Barcelona.
Before Mourinho begins his campaign against the refereeing standards in Spain, he might want to address his team's shortcomings first, as the siege mentality isn't working in 2026.
Read the full statement from Tebas below:
"Here they go again, the mouthpieces and the regime's television, building the same old narrative: the permanent conspiracy. When it's not Negreira, it's the referee; when it's not that, it's that they're not international. All clubs can be officiated by international referees and by those who aren't. None has the right to on-demand refereeing.
"But this article goes further: it claims that referees harm "the business that feeds them." What exactly is it asking for? Refereeing based on revenue, viewership, or the badge? What a way to understand equality in the competition.
"Real Madrid is crucial to LaLiga. But claiming that 'LaLiga is worth nothing' without it reveals the disdain for the other clubs, their fans, and their history. The competition belongs to no one.
"Claiming that referees are directed against Real Madrid is living in another galaxy. That narrative serves as an excuse to cover up other shortcomings that are plain to see in these first matches of the season. It's more comfortable to point to a conspiracy than to explain what's happening on the pitch.
"And my stance doesn't depend on any position: a refereeing error doesn't prove a conspiracy, nor does repeating it for years turn it into truth.
"GET THE BLINDERS OFF! It's September, and they're already calling the League adulterated. No one with common sense buys that old excuse anymore."
