Clattenburg could sue Chelsea after being cleared of racial abuse
Mark Clattenburg, the referee alleged by Chelsea to have racially abused John Obi Mikel, could launch legal action against the Premier League club after he was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Football Association, according to the Daily Mirror.
Clattenburg always denied the claim in the strongest possible terms and the FA have found he had no case to answer following an alleged incident during Chelsea’s defeat to Manchester United in late October. It has been suggested by the head of the referees’ union that Clattenburg has reason to consider action against Chelsea for defamation of character.
It was also concluded by the FA that Ramires, who was the main witness to the alleged confrontation, was not malicious in his claim to have heard Clattenburg use a racial epithet towards Mikel, but was mistaken.
The matter was also the subject of an investigation by the Metropolitan Police after a complaint by a member of the public, but the case was dropped over a lack of evidence after the alleged victim, in this instance, Mikel, failed to come forward.
Clattenburg has missed the last three weeks of football while the FA looked into Chelsea’s allegations, but is now free to return to officiating. In a statement, Clattenburg said: “To know you were innocent of something but that there was the opportunity for it to wreck your career was truly frightening.
“I know first-hand the ramifications of allegations of this nature being placed into the public domain ahead of a formal process and investigation. I hope no referee has to go through this in the future.”
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