The referee of the Chelsea-Manchester United match, Mark Clattenburg, who is under investigation by the English Football Association (FA) and the police following a complaint by Chelsea about alleged racist remarks towards Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel, will not be officiating this weekend. The FA has decided to remove Clattenburg from the match sheets.
The decision was made in the best interest of both parties after discussions, as explained by Mike Riley, the chairman of English referees: “We were prepared to have him resume this weekend, but, after speaking with him, both parties considered that in Mark’s interest, it was preferable that he not officiate, to best help the investigations.”
This marks the second time that Clattenburg has been excluded from officiating, with his absence in the previous weekend. The decision to keep him sidelined may be seen as a development in the ongoing investigation into the allegations against him.
