Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg says that he “allowed Tottenham to self-destruct” when discussing the infamous 2-2 draw at Chelsea in May 2016, according to NBC’s “Men In Blazers” podcast.
Clattenburg said he “went in with a gameplan” so he could not be blamed for Tottenham losing the title and the Spurs blew a 2-goal lead at halftime in a match that they needed to win at Stamford Bridge if they wanted any chance of beating Leicester City to the Premier League title.
“I allowed them [Spurs] to self-destruct so all the media, all the people in the world went: ‘Tottenham lost the title,’” Clattenburg said.
“If I sent three players off from Tottenham, what are the headlines? ‘Clattenburg cost Tottenham the title.’ It was pure theatre that Tottenham self-destructed against Chelsea and Leicester won the title.”
Clattneburg booked a Premier League record nine Spurs players in the infamous match know as “The Battle of the Bridge”, but now says that he could have sent off three visiting players.
“I helped the game. I certainly benefitted the game by my style of refereeing.
“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 gameplan was: Let them lose the title.”
