Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has revealed that ex-Chelsea star John Mikel Obi attempted to assault him following the controversial match between Chelsea and Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in October 2012.
At the time, Clattenburg was accused of racially abusing Mikel Obi, with Chelsea alleging he called the Nigerian midfielder a “monkey.” The FA later cleared Clattenburg of the allegations, finding no evidence of racist language.
However, the incident didn’t end there. Mikel Obi was handed a ban and fined £60,000 by the FA for threatening behaviour toward the referee after the match.
In a recent appearance on the Undr The Cosh podcast, Clattenburg recounted the explosive confrontation.
“There was a bit of commotion outside the dressing room door [after the Chelsea vs Man United game],” he said.
“As I opened the door, John Obi Mikel came bursting through and started swinging punches.”
Clattenburg explained that he dodged the punches, but Mikel then tried to pin him against the wall, shouting profanities.
“I ducked. He tried to pin me against the wall and went, ‘F****** h***!’”
The fiery aftermath of the match remains one of the most heated referee-player confrontations in Premier League history, highlighting the tensions that arose from a game clouded by allegations and high stakes.
