Latest news with #MarkClattenburg
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Arsenal will win next season's Premier League if Liverpool fail to sign Alexander Isak, Mark Clattenburg boldly predicts on latest Whistleblowers podcast
Liverpool will be pipped by a 'stronger' Arsenal to next season's Premier League if they fail to secure the services of Newcastle forward Alexander Isak, Mark Clattenburg has told the Mail's Whistleblowers podcast. The former referee believes the Merseyside giants will be weakened by the loss of Luis Diaz and a Mohamed Salah decline in form, losing ground to a renewed Arsenal. Mikel Arteta 's side finished ten points behind Liverpool last season but have been strengthened by the signings of prolific Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres and former Reds target Martin Zubimendi. The Mail exclusively reported this week that Isak is exploring a move away from Newcastle, with news emerging on Wednesday that personal terms between the striker and Liverpool have already been agreed. The stumbling block for Arne Slot 's team will be the transfer fee, withewcastle allegedly wanting in excess of £120 million for their star man. 'Gyokeres signing for Arsenal is genius', co-host Clattenburg said. Liverpool will be pipped by a 'stronger' Arsenal to next season's Premier League if they fail to secure the services of Newcastle forward Alexander Isak, Mark Clattenburg has predicted 'Arsenal have been missing goals, they needed that leader upfront. If Liverpool don't get Isak – I could see the league being really competitive this year. 'Luis Diaz has left, the new signings they've made will have to hit the ground running and Salah is not getting any younger. He's losing his pace. 'It all depends on Isak – if he goes, there's only one winner. But I really fancy Arsenal for the title.' Liverpool have already splashed a record £263 million this summer on playmaker Florian Wirtz, forward Hugo Ekitike and fullbacks Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. Despite their spending, Clattenburg believes they still have work to do in the market, with sides such as Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham all looking more capable of taking points from them. The former referee argued that Liverpool's point tally from last year is deceptive, with the club only winning the league by maintaining consistency while their rivals endured surprise drops in form. If they get Isak, Liverpool would boast the league's two top scorers in their forward line. Clattenburg said: 'I enjoyed watching Liverpool last season, but nearer the end, they were caught short a little bit. 'A lot of the teams around them suffered – and I felt Liverpool were just slightly better than they were. 'City were poor, Chelsea were indifferent, United and Tottenham weren't as strong. They weren't all beating each other, which normally happens. 'They maintained some form while the rest dipped – but Arsenal look so much stronger this year, and I think they'll challenge a lot more.' Clattenburg was joined by guest host Rory Jennings, football influencer and Chelsea fan. Jennings mostly agreed with Clattenburg's predictions, but argued Arsenal are still missing one more pivotal signing to be considered title favourites. He recommended Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze as the man capable of elevating Arsenal to Liverpool's level. 'At the moment, it is only Arsenal that can really challenge Liverpool', Jennings told the podcast. 'If Arsenal were able to pull off one more needle moving signing – like Eberechi Eze – I think we could look at them as favourites. 'Eze would be the jewel in the crown for Arsenal – he's like a 1970s throwback, a maverick who's also a beautiful player.' To listen to Mark Clattenburg, Rory Jennings and Gordon Smart's full Premier League predictions, search for Whistleblowers now, wherever you get your podcasts.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Ex-EPL referee Mark Clattenburg admits taking 'goodies' from clubs and was 'offered a female'
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has admitted he received 'goodies' from top football clubs and was even 'offered a female'. Clattenburg officiated some of the most high-profile games in world football between 2006 and 2017. The 50-year-old officiated 297 Premier League matches before his retirement. He also took charge of prestigious occasions such as the 2016 Champions League final and the Euro 2016 final. During the peak of his career, the Durham-born referee would travel across Europe for games at a wide range of different stadiums, including some of the biggest and most historic clubs on the continent. Clattenburg has now revealed in an interview with Undr The Cosh that some of those teams subtly attempted to gain favourable decisions by handing him flattering gifts whenever he visited their stadiums - which he accepted within the legal limits. He explained: 'From a club's perspective, you can't pay them [referees], you can't influence them, the only thing you can do is reverse psychology. I remember Barcelona, for example, after the match in your dressing room there was always a little tablet waiting for you, some shirts and little things. ' Bayern Munich would give you a Montblanc pen and bits of goodies. So certain clubs used to give you goodies and, in your head… it's peanuts. You were allowed to take it because it was under a certain value but it subconsciously played into my head.' Clattenburg added: 'I remember going away in my first few times as a fourth official, we weren't paid a salary abroad. They would take you to a suit shop. Because they didn't pay you but they wanted you to feel special and give you everything they had. 'Later, when we were paid a salary, UEFA didn't want you to be influenced or other clubs to feel that the home side was getting an advantage. For example, Real Madrid used to get you the best hotel. I used to get the f***ing best room ever.' When asked if any clubs ever overstepped the mark by resorting to bribing, Clattenburg revealed an incident where he was offered female company, which he turned down. He recalled: 'I had a situation in Azerbaijan, they offered me a female after the match and it was like crazy, man.' Asked if he reported it, Clattenburg replied: 'I just laughed it off. I didn't know if it was a joke or whatever. I just said, 'Nah, nah. I'm okay thanks,' and left it at that.' Clattenburg also discussed how some players and managers, such as the late Gary Speed and Alex Ferguson, used psychological tactics on him to their benefit. In contrast, he admitted Craig Bellamy, who regularly caused the official 'problems' with his behaviour on the pitch, was less likely to receive favourable decisions. Following his retirement, Clattenburg was controversially appointed as Nottingham Forest 's referee analyst in early 2024 and left the role three months later. He is now the lead ref on the BBC revival of TV show Gladiators. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Big spenders Sunderland are the only newly promoted team with 'a chance' of Premier League survival, Mark Clattenburg predicts while taking aim at anti-competitive FFP rules
Sunderland are the only team with a chance of Premier League survival due to their lavish transfer spending, Mark Clattenburg has claimed. Speaking on the Mail's Whistleblowers podcast, the former referee blamed newly promoted teams' struggles to stay up on restrictive FFP (Financial Fair Play) rules that hamstring their ability to build competitive squads. Across the last two Premier League seasons (2023-25), all six promoted sides have immediately gone straight back down to the Championship. Of Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland, Clattenburg believes only the Black Cats have a hope of bucking this trend after spending £100.5 million on 6 new recruits. Sunderland have been fortunate with their FFP position, as Jobe Bellingham's £27.8 million sale has enabled far greater spending than other relegation-threatened clubs. Clattenburg said: 'Because of Financial Fair Play, you can't have a rich owner come in and spend loads of money. That's the issue. 'The last team to try it was Nottingham Forest. They were criticised for signing 28 players, but Marinakis knew he had to spend to stay competitive. 'Forest were criticised and had a points deduction but were lucky enough with the size of their squad to survive. 'Sunderland are trying that strategy now. They might just have a chance at staying up. But it's only a small chance.' The podcast co-host, who officiated nearly 300 Premier League matches during his career, argued that it's not 'a lack of fight' that keeps newly promoted sides from staying up. Clattenburg said that a lack of squad depth eventually catches up with former Championship sides, despite an initial post-promotion boost in form. 'I remember watching Ipswich during the first few games of last season and thinking, wow, they're really competitive', the former official said. 'Playing Liverpool, Manchester United – they looked strong. But in the end, 38 games doesn't lie. 'After that honeymoon period, it's just game after game and it becomes really difficult for smaller squads. 'Look at the teams that finished in the bottom half last year, Manchester United, Tottenham, West Ham – that's who you're competing with.' The three newly promoted sides have spent a combined £180 million in the transfer window so far. Leeds have bolstered their squad with 5 new signings for £50 million, while Burnley have made 7 permanent additions for a modest £30 million. Mark Clattenburg: 'Do I really see Sunderland, Leeds or Burnley being able to overtake Brentford or Wolves? Not really.' Listen here Leeds and Burnley have been accused by their fanbases of prioritising quantity over quality, while Sunderland have focused on signing well-regarded talent from Europe's top leagues. 'The newly promoted sides have to hope either Brentford or Wolves have a bad season', Clattenburg told the podcast. 'Do I really see Sunderland, Leeds or Burnley being able to overtake them? Not really. 'What used to drive me bonkers last year with Southampton or Leicester is they would constantly try to play out from the back. 'They never did that in the Championship – they were pressing way too high and giving the ball away. 'You can't come up and give away silly goals. Teams used to just kick the ball upfront and have strikers that could chase it down. They would stay compact. 'But now I watch these clubs try and play football against Liverpool or Manchester City and it drives me crazy.'
Daily Mail
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
'Wimbledon has been a S*** SHOW!': Nick Kyrgios slams SW19's AI line judges on new Mail podcast in the wake of Championships' embarrassing gaffes
The use of AI line judges at this year's Wimbledon has been a 's*** show', firebrand tennis player Nick Kyrgios has told former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg. Speaking to Whistleblowers, the Mail's brand-new football podcast, the Australian argued that organisers rushed the new technology into the tournament, calling it a 'disaster' for the prestigious event. AI line judges are automated systems that use cameras to make calls on whether tennis balls are in or out, replacing human line judges who traditionally made these decisions. Some of the game's biggest names, including Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu have publicly called out the technology, raising questions over its accuracy and disruptive impact on matches. 'It has been an absolute s*** show', the former Wimbledon finalist told Whistleblowers host Clattenburg. 'Wimbledon is the tennis world's Champions League - it's the best tournament we have and pretty much every match we've had a malfunction. 'Maybe Wimbledon should just be one of the tournaments where it's traditions never change. You have line umpires, and you have challenges. 'I want the sport to evolve - but this our biggest event and we're still having these malfunctions.' During Sonay Kartal's match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the electronic line-calling system failed to register a ball that been played out. Organisers issued an apology but blamed human error, saying that someone had accidentally deactivated the system mid-game. Drawing from his experience overseeing VAR's introduction into elite football, former referee Clattenburg backed Kyrgios's criticism. He said he was surprised the technology wasn't thoroughly stress-tested before the tournament and argued for a more gradual rollout. Clattenburg contended: 'When VAR was introduced, it wasn't just dropped into the Premier League. It was tested over a period of time. 'I think it was three or four years of it being used in mini tournaments and youth matches before its full rollout. 'I understand that Wimbledon are listening to its players – they want the technology in and the human taken element out. 'But I don't understand why they didn't have line umpires for this year, with the technology as a backup to check its accuracy. Whistleblowers, brought to you by the Mail and Wickes TradePro - is football's most original new podcast - lifting the lid on the parts of the game no one else talks about 'Then, if the accuracy was 100% - the next year you could say, the technology was so good, let's move forward.' Echoing debates around VAR in football, Kyrgios also criticised the technology for ruining the spectacle of tennis. The fiery Australian said some of tennis's most iconic moments have stemmed from tight calls and clashes with umpires. 'What about guys like me and John McEnroe?', Kyrgios asked. 'Our best content ever has come from run-ins with line umpires. The 'you cannot be serious moment' for example, we're still playing that 50 years later. 'I agree with Mark that they should have eased into it, I feel like Wimbledon just dropped it in and it's been a disaster.'
Daily Mail
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Mark Clattenburg reveals he considered taking his own life after being wrongly accused of racism by Chelsea's John Obi Mikel
Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has revealed that he considered taking his own life after he was wrongly accused of racism. The official was accused of making a racist comment towards two Chelsea players, including John Obi Mikel, in a fixture against Manchester United in 2012. The allegations triggered investigations by the Football Association and the Metropolitan Police. Clattenburg missed four weeks of Premier League action while the FA investigated the complaint. The allegations were later dismissed by the Football Association and the police dropped their own inquiry. And Chelsea admitted they 'regretted' the way they handled the accusation and the 'intense media scrutiny' faced by the referee and his family. Clattenburg revealed the allegations caused him to consider suicide, but that he decided against it because of his newborn daughter. He told the High Performance Podcast: 'The Obi Mikel situation affected me a lot and affected my family a lot. I think that was the closest I've ever been to, a, suicide and, b, finishing. If I didn't have a way out and I couldn't referee any more, what can I do? 'I remember my mobile phone, everybody gets the notifications, and it was a Sky Sports notification [saying] 'Mark Clattenburg accused of racial discrimination against two Chelsea players'. And I had a new born, she was only six months old.' He added: 'It was the worst 12 hours. I remember not sleeping. I didn't go to bed. I was soul searching because I didn't know what I had said, so I'm trying to work out if I had said something in the heat of the moment. That was the hardest thing, thinking I had done it. 'It went only when time started to elapse and Chelsea couldn't provide the necessary information. Following the ruling in 2012, Clattenburg said: 'To know you were innocent of something but that there was the opportunity for it to wreck your career was truly frightening.' He returned to Premier League duty four weeks later and went on to referee the Euro 2016 final and the Champions League final four years later, before retiring in 2017.
