Jose Mourinho says 'a lot of people don’t know the rules' as he defends Real Madrid penalty decisions after Jude Bellingham racks up 50 goals for club

Jose Mourinho said there are a lot of people who "don't know the rules" as he was questioned about two penalty decisions that went Real Madrid's way in their 3-0 La Liga win at Racing Santander on Sunday.

‘If VAR isn’t asleep, it’s not a penalty’ - Mourinho defends Tchouameni handball decision

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Madrid followed up their Clasico victory over Barcelona with a sixth win in a row in all competitions thanks to goals from Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Yan Diomande.

Madrid are three points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona and appear to be gathering momentum under Mourinho.

They were helped on their way against Racing by the awarding of an 11th-minute penalty after Mbappe was adjudged to have been fouled in the box. The hosts then had a second-half penalty call for handball overturned by VAR after it was ruled the ball deflected onto Aurelien Tchouameni's hand.

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Asked about the decisions, Mourinho said: "My opinion is that they [Racing] protest everything.

"I really like this stadium and I really like these fans. They have that character, that way of experiencing a game. They don’t just come to the cinema. They don’t just come to watch a show. They come to play their part, to get involved and create a very difficult atmosphere for the opposition.

"But there’s also the fact that people obviously experience the game with passion, and a lot of people don’t know the rules.

"And to tell you the truth, they change them so often, all the little details…that people don’t realise Tchouameni’s incident can never be a penalty because the ball deflected off his own body. It’s never a penalty.

"When the referee pointed to the spot, I stayed calm because, from 60 metres away, I couldn’t really judge it. But then I watched it on the iPad and said, 'If VAR isn’t asleep, that’s not a penalty'.

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"The referee was technically very good, and his disciplinary decisions were good too. A couple of yellow cards and that was it, in a tough, competitive game.

"For me, it was obvious that it wasn't a penalty."

Bellingham's goal was his 50th in all competitions for Madrid since joining from Borussia Dortmund in 2023.

England international Bellingham's team-mate Trent Alexander-Arnold started the match after speculation over his future at the club.

Alexander-Arnold has only started five games this season but Mourinho was impressed with his performance against Racing.

"When things go well, it seems as though they go well for everyone," Mourinho said. "You make a change and bring on Trent, who hadn't played for a few matches, and I do so knowing that against an opponent who presses hard, his technical ability in bringing the ball out would be better.

"And he puts in an excellent, very balanced performance. When things are going well, they seem better than they actually are. But the truth is, I’m happy."

Madrid next play AEK Athens in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, live with TNT Sports on HBO Max.

They then face a trip to Valencia before the two-week international break.

Mourinho believes his team are "not quite at 100% yet but are making progress".

He added: "I’ve come to understand things that I didn’t understand on the first day; the players have a better grasp of my character as a coach, because my character as a person is secondary.

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"They understand the things that, for me, are non-negotiable. There’s a good rapport, shall we say. A good rapport between the players and the manager. We’re doing well. But we’ll have to see how this week goes, because we’ve got two tough matches coming up. And each one is important."

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