Benfica and Real Madrid faced off in a highly tense Champions League playoff first leg. Even before kickoff, the appointment of French referee François Letexier had already sparked debate, and the controversy only intensified after the match. José Mourinho, who was sent off by the French official, openly accused him of favoritism.
Mourinho claimed that referee François Letexier had a “small note” listing players who were not supposed to receive a yellow card. According to him, the situation was obvious and intentional, based on his long experience on the touchline.
Mourinho Claims Certain Players Were Protected from Yellow Cards
“There’s nothing to explain, everything is very clear: I have 1,400 matches under my belt, it’s simple. He had a small note with Carreras, Tchouaméni, Huijsen written on it; if they get a yellow card, they can’t play the next match. Someone told him they could not be booked,” Mourinho said.
To conclude, he challenged UEFA over the choice of the next referee and even predicted the name of the official he believes will be appointed: “We’ll see if it isn’t Anthony Taylor.”
🚨🎙️ José Mourinho affirme que l'arbitre François Letexier avait un "petit papier" avec les joueurs qui ne devaient pas recevoir de carton jaune ! 😡💢
💭 « Il n’y a rien à expliquer, tout est très évident : j’ai 1400 matchs au compteur, c’est simple. Il avait un petit papier… pic.twitter.com/ecNXFtKVWe
— Foot Mercato (@footmercato) February 18, 2026
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