Mark Clattenburg reveals he quit Premier League after Jose Mourinho criticised him over handball decision
Former ref says it was being criticised by The Special One which made up his mind to give up his job
Sponsored by
MARK CLATTENBURG has revealed he quit the Premier League after being blasted by Jose Mourinho.
The former referee said the moment he knew he wanted to quit England was after Wayne Rooney had broke Sir Bobby Charlton's goal record against Stoke last season.
Mourinho was furious with a decision not being given his way and criticised Clatts in the dressing room which drove him over the edge.
He told the Men in Blazers podcast: "I was refereeing the game when Wayne Rooney broke Bobby Charlton's record and Mourinho came into my dressing room and he was unhappy about a handball penalty that I didn't give.
"I'd walked off that pitch at Stoke, which was always the coldest stadium, it was always wet and miserable, and refereeing Man United was never an easy match.
"To come off that match it felt immense that I'd actually had a good performance, and for him to come into my dressing room and criticise my performance for a handball that I'd seen, that had clearly come off his chest, I knew that I was right but he'd put a seed of doubt into my mind.
Latest Manchester United news
"I drove home 250 miles thinking I'd made a big error, my wife knew my attitude had changed, and I thought to myself, 'do I really wanna be a part of this anymore? Do I really want to referee?'
"And I went soul-searching, I wasn't enjoying it as much as I used to and I had to get out.
MOUR FOR JOSE Mourinho to be given £80m January transfer war-chest with Shaw and Darmian set for the axe
"When I was offered the opportunity with Saudi Arabia it was an easy decision."
Clattenburg caused controversy yesterday after revealing he deliberately did not send off any Tottenham players during the infamous Battle of the Bridge.