Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has opened up about a dramatic and deeply personal episode from his officiating career, alleging that former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel attempted to punch him following Chelsea’s controversial 3-2 defeat to Manchester United in October 2012.
Speaking on the Under The Cosh podcast, Clattenburg, now 50, recounted the chaotic scenes in the officials’ dressing room at Stamford Bridge after accusations surfaced that he had used a racial slur during the match.
“There was a bit of commotion outside the dressing room door,” Clattenburg recalled. “I opened it, and came bursting through, swinging punches. I ducked. He tried to pin me against the wall, shouting expletives.”
The incident stemmed from allegations made by Chelsea that Clattenburg had called Mikel a “monkey” during the match, claims which were later dismissed by the FA following a formal investigation. Clattenburg was cleared of any wrongdoing, while Mikel received a three-match suspension and a £60,000 fine for threatening behavior toward the referee.
In one surreal moment described by Clattenburg, the tension briefly gave way to absurdity.
“About 30 seconds after the incident, someone knocked on the door again. I thought, ‘Not again!’ But it was a security guard saying, ‘Obi Mikel left his flip-flop in the dressing room, can he have it back?’ I thought, ‘Are you taking the p***?’”
Clattenburg also reflected on the emotional and psychological impact of the episode, describing it as one of the darkest periods of his professional life.
“I didn’t want to come back. I was mentally gone,” he said. “For the first few days, I couldn’t eat or drink. I started questioning myself, wondering if I had actually said something. It was an absolute disgrace what happened.”
He went on to suggest that Chelsea’s actions at the time may have been influenced by a broader context, referencing the FA’s decision to punish John Terry for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand in 2011, a case in which Terry was banned and fined by the FA despite being acquitted in court.
Clattenburg said that in the immediate aftermath, match officials were more concerned about the events in the dressing room than the racial allegation itself.
“All the match observer was concerned about was what I was going to report about the dressing room,” he noted. “Then an hour later, I was accused of being a racist.”
He also questioned how Mikel had been allowed such close access to the officials’ area, raising concerns about security protocols.
“He shouldn’t have even been able to get that close with security in place. I thought he was just upset about the result and I happened to be in the way.”
Despite the severity of the situation, Clattenburg returned to refereeing and went on to officiate major domestic and international matches. However, he admits the 2012 incident remains a painful memory.
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