Clattenburg: I let Spurs self-destruct in 'Battle of the Bridge' | OneFootball

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has made an astonishing claim regarding a match he officiated between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur in May 2016.

Chelsea ended Spurs’ hopes of pipping Leicester City to the Premier League title by coming back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 in a high-tempered encounter at Stamford Bridge, which ended with nine Spurs players booked.

And speaking publicly for the first time about the night now commonly referred to as the ‘Battle of the Bridge’, Clattenburg says the only reason he didn’t show any red cards to the visiting team is because he didn’t want to be blamed for Spurs missing out on the title.

“It was theatre,” the 42-year-old told the Men in Blazers podcast.

“I went in with a game-plan: that I didn’t want Tottenham Hotspur blaming Mark Clattenburg that they were losing the title. There should have been three red cards to Tottenham.

“I allowed them to self-destruct so all the media, all the people in the world went: ‘Tottenham lost the title’.

“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.”

Both clubs were later fined a combined £600,000 for failing to control their players while Lilywhites’ midfielder Mousa Dembélé was handed a whopping six-match ban for gouging an opponent’s eye.

Clattenburg, who now works for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, was heavily criticised for his handling of events but he believes officials have a “duty to make sure the game is enhanced”.

“I helped the game. I certainly benefited the game by my style of refereeing,” he added.

“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 game-plan was: Let them lose the title.

“We’re all part of the theatre.”