Chelsea have expressed regret over their
handling of allegations against referee Mark Clattenburg after a
Premier League match last month.
Chelsea also said they were sorry for
the intense media scrutiny Clattenburg was subjected to following the
game against Manchester United in which they complained about
“inappropriate language” the referee had allegedly used towards their
Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel.
Clattenburg was cleared by the Football Association on Thursday.
Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck held a
meeting with Professional Game Match Officials Limited, which manages
top English referees, and the Premier League to discuss the matter on
Monday.
“The club regrets not having given more
consideration before issuing a statement on the evening of Sunday 28th
October,” Chelsea said in a statement.
“The club also regrets the subsequent impact the intense media scrutiny had on Mark Clattenburg and his family.
“The referees accept that, given Chelsea
FC had received a good faith claim from one of their employees, the
club had an obligation under FA rules to report the allegation.”
Chelsea said they would welcome
Clattenburg back to Stamford Bridge and the referees’ governing body
said it would have no hesitation in appointing him to officiate Chelsea
games.
“There was recognition by all parties
that the impartiality and integrity of refereeing in this country
remains paramount,” Chelsea said.
“All parties now believe it is time to
draw a line under this incident, learn from it and move on for the good
of all Premier League clubs, players and match officials.”
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