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Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has strongly questioned the competence of VAR after a controversial penalty call during his side's defeat to Real Betis. Speaking before Madrid's Champions League meeting with Inter Milan, the Portuguese coach sought clear answers over officiating decisions involving Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior.

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Mourinho demands answers over VAR controversy

Mourinho has raised doubts over the refereeing standards after his team's loss to Betis. The match included controversy over a penalty taken by Mbappe which was not ordered to be retaken.

Addressing the media ahead of Madrid's Champions League clash with Inter, Mourinho pointed to what he saw as officiating mistakes. While he accepted that Madrid were beaten because they failed to make their chances count, he asked for an explanation as to why VAR did not step in. The Portuguese manager said he could not understand why the officials failed to enforce the laws of the game.

Mourinho slams officials

Mourinho asked whether the call was the result of ignorance or a conscious decision. He maintained that officials who are not competent should not be handling the technology during matches.

"We lost to Betis because we failed to convert our attacking play into goals," Mourinho said. "But regarding the penalty, why wasn't it retaken? Was it because VAR didn't know the rules, or because they chose not to? Why? If VAR didn't order a retake because they didn't know the regulations, they should go home; if they chose not to, that's even worse. And why didn't VAR call the referee over? It's strange.

"I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they didn't know the rules, but if that's the case, they shouldn't be in the VAR room. They should go home. Because what will happen is that, in the coming months, if the exact same situation arises, the penalty will be retaken. I want to make it clear that we didn't lose because of that - we might well have missed the retake - but as a football coach, I want to know why it wasn't retaken."

Questions surrounding Vinicius yellow card

Apart from the penalty episode, Mourinho also questioned the yellow card shown to Vinicius. The Brazilian winger was booked after going up to the referee to ask for an explanation.

"Another thing I want to know is why Vinicius, as captain, couldn't approach the referee to ask for an explanation," Mourinho said.

Madrid turn focus to Inter Milan clash

In spite of his anger over the officiating in the league, Mourinho now has to quickly shift his team's attention to European action. Madrid will host Inter in an important Champions League group-stage fixture. Los Blancos will look to move on from their domestic setback and claim a crucial win over the Nerazzurri at the Santiago Bernabeu.