LONDON: London’s Metropolitan Police have confirmed that they have received a complaint about allegedly racist comments made by a top flight referee during last weekend’s match between Chelsea and Manchester United.
Scotland Yard said in a statement that the complaint was made on Monday afternoon and was being considered, while officers had been in touch with the west London club about the claims against Mark Clattenburg.
“We will work in partnership with Chelsea Football Club and the Football Association in order to consider any allegation that is made in relation to the reported events,” the statement added.
Clattenburg is alleged to have used “inappropriate language”, reportedly of a racist nature, towards Chelsea’s Nigerian and Spanish players John Mikel Obi and Juan Mata at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
The 37-year-old official, who has vowed to co-operate fully with any probe, has been stood down from matches for a week, pending an FA investigation.
The racism claims are the latest to hit the English Premier League, notably after Chelsea captain and former England skipper John Terry was cleared earlier this year in a criminal trial of racially abusing QPR’s Anton Ferdinand. REUTERS
