Real Madrid's Jose Mourinho: Sami Khedira and the referee are responsible for the defeat to Levante
RealMadrid coach Jose Mourinho blamed Sami Khedira and match official Javier Turienzo Alvarez for his side's 1-0 defeat at Levante.
A second half goal from Arouna Kone was enough for the hosts to sink Madrid, who were reduced to 10 men during the course of the first half following Khedira's second bookable offense.
The Bernabeu outfit claims the referee failed to signal a penalty in the 62nd minute after Vicente Iborra had handled the ball inside the area, an offense which would have earned the midfielder his second yellow of the game.
After the game, Mourinho criticized the work of the referee, while ironically saying Levante deserved to win the game because of its underhand tactics.
"There was a clear penalty, which would have given Iborra his second yellow card, and that had a clear impact on the result" he told reporters. "If we had scored from the spot and been 10 versus 10, the history of the game would have been different. But we do not have to take credit away from Levante and from what they know they can do at home. I have to congratulate them for this. They know how to provoke, to simulate, to waste time and not give the ball. This is also football and our players do not like these things. No one does it better than Levante in this league."
The Portuguese tactician said Khedira was partially accountable for the negative result, but noted that the German midfielder only fell victim to Levante's antics.
"There are players on our team who cannot get used to the dirty part of football, who are not comfortable with it," Mourinho said. "One of my players [Khedira] was at fault because he knew what was going to happen. He fell into the trap. I hold him partially responsible for the defeat, but the referee is also to blame. Not signalling a penalty nor sending a player off is a lot."
Mourinho conceded his team was largely superior before Khedira was shown red and lamented not scoring during that period.
"While both teams had 11 players on the pitch, we played well and our opponent did not enter our midfield," he explained. "We had chances on goal, two of them in which there was no goalkeeper and another one with an easy shot from four meters out, and we could not score."