José Mourinho has used a press conference to make an ironic remark about the penalty decisions that favoured FC Barcelona and Atlético Madrid last weekend. The Portuguese manager, known for his psychological tactics, has reignited the debate over refereeing criteria and VAR use in La Liga with a comment that Barça fans have taken as a provocation.

"No questions about the penalties? Strange... There are no questions about this weekend's penalties, I find it very curious," Mourinho said. The phrase, which quickly went viral on digital platforms, points directly at the controversial decisions that influenced victories for both Madrid and Catalan sides.

League context

The comment comes as Barcelona, La Liga leaders, maintain a flawless run of five wins from five matches. The team has 15 points, three more than Real Madrid, and has scored 21 goals while conceding just four. Their latest win was a 2-4 victory at Levante, with goals from Xavi Espart, a Lamine Yamal brace, and a late strike from Karim Adeyemi.

Reaction and strategy

Mourinho's statements are seen as an attempt to deflect media pressure from his own team and direct attention towards their direct rivals in the table. These kinds of moves are part of the 'Special One's' known strategy for creating external narratives. The reaction from Barcelona and Atlético supporters was swift, with many viewing the words as an attempt to delegitimise their recent results.

Barça's current situation

While the refereeing controversy makes headlines, Barcelona are preparing for their next home fixture against 10th-placed Racing Santander. The team faces the match with several key absences: Frenkie de Jong, Roony Bardghji, Gerard Martín and Jesse Bisiwu are currently sidelined. Despite the injuries, the attacking output is impressive, with Raphinha as the season's top scorer on six goals. The full squad and their statistics are available in the squad section. The team has achieved its wins with an average of 63 goal minutes per match, a figure that reflects their on-field dominance. Also, in their last five matches, Barça has averaged 4.2 goals scored and just 0.8 conceded, showing spectacular form.

The focus now returns to the pitch, where Barcelona will aim to extend their winning run to six games this Wednesday. A win would further cement their position at the top of the standings, moving past the noise generated from outside the touchlines.

First reported at El Comercio PE Deporte Total