CLOTTENBURG

Ref admits he was soft on Spurs in fiery 2016 Chelsea clash as he didn’t want the blame for their title collapse

MARK CLATTENBURG has admitted he avoided sending off Tottenham players – to ensure he did not get the blame for their title collapse.

The former Premier League referee says he wanted to “let Spurs self-destruct” in a crucial 2016 game at Stamford Bridge with Chelsea, rather than make headlines for dishing out red cards.

Clattenburg was in charge when the clubs played out a dramatic 2-2 draw at the end of the 2015-16 season. The result meant Leicester were crowned champions.

Tottenham led 2-0 at half-time but fell to pieces after the break. Eden Hazard’s equaliser led to angry clashes between players.

Nine Spurs stars were yellow carded, including four after Hazard scored, and ex-ref Graham Poll accused Clattenburg at the time of allowing the game to get away from him. Now Clattenburg, head of refereeing in Saudi Arabia, says he could have sent off three Spurs players by the letter of the law.

He explained: “It was theatre. I went in with a game plan: That I didn’t want Tottenham Hotspur blaming Mark Clattenburg that they were losing the title.

“There should have been three red cards to Tottenham. If I sent three players off from

Spurs, what are the headlines? ‘Clattenburg cost Tottenham the title’.

“It was pure theatre that they self-destructed against Chelsea, and Leicester won the title.”

Spurs and Chelsea were fined a total of £600,000 – reduced on appeal – for failing to control their players. Mousa Dembele was banned for six games due to an eye gouge.

Clattenburg (above) opened up a storm over his handling of the controversial match yesterday – with some fans fuming he let Spurs players off the hook.

He added: “Some referees would have played by the book – Tottenham would have been down to seven or eight players, and probably lost, and they would’ve been looking for an excuse.

“But I didn’t give them an excuse, because my game plan was: Let them lose the title.

“We’re all part of the theatre. We have a duty to make sure the game is enhanced. I helped the game. I certainly benefited the game by my style of refereeing.

“I allowed them to self-destruct, so all the media, all the people in the world went: ‘Tottenham lost the title’.”

The Premier League and PGMOL, who run the refereeing arm, were not commenting on the issues raised yesterday.

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