José Mourinho expressed his annoyance regarding a leak which did not go down at all with the Portuguese technician. Unlike the usual indiscretions on team compositions or discussions in the locker room, this time it is the identity of the referee which poses a problem. While Juan Martínez Munuera is announced to lead Sunday’s match at the Spotify Camp Nou, the Madrid coach does not understand how this information could have circulated several days before his official communication, normally made 24 hours before kick-off. “ I don’t believe that’s true. Or, if it’s true, the information is taken out of context, because the referee is only officially announced 24 hours before the match. This is the kind of information I don’t appreciate, and I’m not talking about the referee himself “, he declared after the match against RB Leipzig. A situation which particularly irritates Mourinho, worried about the consequences that these revelations could have on the preparation of such an important poster.
The Portuguese had already expressed his concerns a few days earlier, on the sidelines of the confrontation against AS Roma. “ I trust all the referees. The only thing that makes me doubt is that the name of the referee is known three weeks before the match and not 24 hours before “, he explained. For Mourinho, the problem does not directly concern the skills or impartiality of the designated referee, but rather the additional pressure that a premature announcement can cause. In a context where each arbitration decision is particularly scrutinized, the technician believes that these leaks risk placing the official at the center of the debates well before the start of the match. A position which comes at a time when Real Madrid TV is regularly increasing the number of sequences devoted to refereeing decisions deemed unfavorable to the Merengues, particularly in comparison with those concerning FC Barcelona.
