Former Premier referee Clattenburg says he has no respect for midfielder over 2012 allegation of racial abuse

Mikel accused Clattenburg of racially abusing him during a Manchester United’s 3-2 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in October 2012.

The Nigerian midfielder had been told by his team-mate Ramires that the referee had called him ‘monkey’ during an altercation.

After the accusation, Clattenburg was suspended for four weeks but was cleared of using any inappropriate language at Mikel.

Just about seven years later, Clattenburg has opened up about the incidence and revealed that he has no respect for Mikel who never apologised for the allegations.

Clattenburg wants an apology

“Mikel came into my dressing room and certain things happened which I’ll leave in there. But then Ramires made the allegation that I’d called Mikel a monkey on the pitch,” the former Premier League referee told Daily Mail.

“The first few days I was soul-searching — you know you’re innocent yet you’re made to feel otherwise. It took four weeks for Chelsea to reveal the moment it had allegedly happened, and after that it was very quickly dismissed.

“The media were camped outside my house for days on end. It made world news. That is hard to deal with, I tell you. I knew it wasn’t true, but I could not speak. Me and my family went through hell — I even thought about quitting.”

“If Mikel had come out and apologised, OK, be a man about it,. But I haven’t got respect for someone who makes a mistake on someone else’s allegation and can’t then say sorry,” Clattenburg added.

Mikel who was said to have threatened Clattenburg in the dressing room after that game was given a three-match ban and fined £60,000.