Clattenburg refutes ‘preposterous’ claim he ‘didn’t send player off’ because he wanted Leicester title win

Will Ford
Clattenburg Leicester

Former Leicester full-back Danny Simpson has claimed that ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg told him that he deliberately didn’t send a Foxes teammate off as he wanted them to win the title.

Leicester stunned the world by claiming the 2015-16 Premier League title having only just beaten the drop the season before under Nigel Pearson. Claudio Ranieri led the 5000/1 shots to the impossible.

Clattenberg has responded to Simpson’s “preposterous” allegations.

“I fully deny the allegations made by Danny Simpson. I find them preposterous,” Clattenburg told the Daily Mail. “They are very serious and could question my integrity.

“To suggest I told a player that I wanted Leicester to win the league is ridiculous. It would have been picked up by our microphones.

“I did not book Danny Drinkwater during that season. His claims have absolutely no substance and I have no idea why, seven years later, he has chosen to say this. The matter is now with my lawyer.”

The comments from Clattenberg come after Simpson made his claims during his appearance on the Under the Cosh podcast.

He accused the former Premier League referee of giving Leicester City a helping hand as they battled for the title. He is said to have admitted to the defender mid-match that he should have sent one of his teammates off, but didn’t as he wanted the Foxes to go all the way.

“I remember Clattenburg, mate. Wow,” Simpson told the Under the Cosh podcast. “I think he should have sent someone away. He said something like, ‘I should have sent you there, but I want you to win.’

“Dude, that was crazy. That was crazy, you know, I swear to god. Good job there is no VAR but yes.”

“I had to pretend I didn’t hear it. I was laughing my bollocks off inside and I thought, ‘Yeah, we’re doing this.’

“I think it was Drinky [Danny Drinkwater] actually. It was his second yellow or something and he could’ve easily sent him off but he didn’t.”

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