The match Chelsea and Manchester United was given to Mark Clattenburg, the greatest referee in the country at the time, in 2012, but the repercussions of the match will live long in the mind.
It was during this game that Chelsea's Jon Obi Mikel allegedly accused the official of racism. It's an extraordinary charge to level against a match official and one that Clattenburg admits he'll never get over.
“I knew to expect a tirade of abuse from Chelsea supporters, but I was not beating myself up over my performance. It was then that I heard a commotion outside the dressing-room door,” Clattenburg wrote in his new autobiography ‘Whistle Blower,’ being serialised in the Daily Mail.
“Before I get to the door it swings open, and with some force. John Obi Mikel bursts in and I can see the rage in his eyes. Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo and coach Eddie Newton are holding him back. Mikel is out of control; he’s trying to get at me. ‘I’m gonna break your legs!’ he shouts. He’s swinging for me.
“I have to be clear here – and this is extremely important – at this point there had been no mention of racism to me, either from Mikel or Di Matteo. No one had made any accusation of that nature.
“I left Stamford Bridge in the people-carrier and as we made our way out of West London towards Heathrow, there’s a social-media notification on the screen of my phone saying: ‘BREAKING NEWS: CHELSEA ACCUSE REFEREE MARK CLATTENBURG OF RACIST COMMENTS’.
“During those early hours overnight on the Sunday of the game, I realised the power of football clubs, the hold they have over the media. It was terrifying. It was the European champions against a referee – who would you believe?
“I am trapped. This could ruin my career. It could ruin my life. The fear is worse than going to prison. I am being called a racist. That is a real life-sentence, you don’t come back from that. Guilty until proven innocent, that is the English way.”
Source: transfermarketweb.com