Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has claimed that ex-Super Eagles and Chelsea midfielder, John Mikel Obi, tried to attack him after a heated match between Chelsea and Manchester United in 2012.
Speaking on the podcast Undr The Cosh, Clattenburg described how Mikel burst into the referee’s dressing room at Stamford Bridge, furious over an incident during the match.
“There was a bit of commotion outside the dressing room door,” Clattenburg said. “As I opened the door, John Obi Mikel came bursting through and started swinging punches. I ducked. He tried to pin me against the wall.”
The game in question stirred major controversy, as Chelsea accused Clattenburg of racially abusing Mikel by calling him a “monkey.” However, the Football Association (FA) later cleared Clattenburg of any wrongdoing.
Mikel, on the other hand, was banned and fined £60,000 by the FA for threatening the referee after the final whistle.
Clattenburg, now 50, retired from officiating in the Premier League in 2017 but still speaks openly about some of the biggest moments in his career.
