Story perspectives

Huijsen red card upheld as Atlético beats Real 2–1

By Drooid · Sep 21, 2026, 10:45 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Atlético Beats Real

Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid 2–1 in the Madrid derby on September 20.
Dean Huijsen was sent off in the 52nd minute, prompting an Atlético penalty.
Antonio Rüdiger headed Real Madrid’s only goal in the 89th minute.
The win moved Atlético to second place with 16 points and Real to fourth with 15.
Opta gave Real a 46.6% win probability, Atlético 28.3%, and projected Barcelona a 75.02% title chance.

Summary

Huijsen Redcard Upheld

Spanish refereeing technical committee confirmed Dean Huijsen’s red card was correct after post-match review.
The committee also ruled that Lee Kang-in should have been sent off, contradicting Mourinho’s claim.
Real Madrid’s official X account posted footage calling the officiating “dreadful,” reaching over 180 million followers.
Lee Kang-in’s social media received a flood of abusive comments from Real supporters after the club’s post.

History

Historical Context

The RFEF’s Technical Committee of Referees, renamed in 1993 to centralize referee appointments and standards, grew out of earlier regional bodies that had varied criteria since the 1920s. Its mandate to curb controversial decisions echoes today’s disputes, such as Dean Huijsen’s dismissal and Lee Kang-in’s card reversal in a Real Madrid-Atlético Madrid clash, prompting clubs to demand greater transparency before the season’s climax.

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Atlético Beats Real

Atlético Madrid beat Real Madrid 2–1 in the Madrid derby on September 20.
Dean Huijsen was sent off in the 52nd minute, prompting an Atlético penalty.
Antonio Rüdiger headed Real Madrid’s only goal in the 89th minute.
The win moved Atlético to second place with 16 points and Real to fourth with 15.
Opta gave Real a 46.6% win probability, Atlético 28.3%, and projected Barcelona a 75.02% title chance.

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