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I told Rio Ferdinand to give Sir Alex Ferguson X-rated message and Manchester United legend had stunned four-word reply
Mark Clattenburg has opened up on the explosive interactions he shared with some of the Premier League’s most iconic managers. The English referee stepped away from the English top-flight in 2017 after 13 years in the job, during which time he established himself among the top match officials in the world. Mark Clattenburg refereed in the English Football League from 2000 until 2017Getty Images - Getty Having overseen games on the biggest of stages, including European Championship and Champions League finals, Clattenburg was tasked with keeping some of football’s biggest names in check. And it’s fair to say the Premier League’s top bosses proved a real test for the 50-year-old in his career. Appearing on The Overlap’s Fan Debate, Clattenburg revealed the intimidation tactics used by Sir Alex Ferguson and Jurgen Klopp in an attempt to gain the edge in big fixtures. So much so in fact, that the former official once responded by delivering an expletive-laden message to legendary ex-Manchester United boss Ferguson. With Fergie’s teams of the 2000s notorious for piling the pressure on referees, Clattenburg admitted to trying to get back at them. He recalled: ”I remember Manchester United, and how they used to do it. “Fergie, I’m convinced, used to send one player at a time because he knew if you kept sending the same player, eventually he’s going to get cautioned.” Clattenburg then explained how he colourfully asked Rio Ferdinand to let Ferguson know he was aware of their tactics. The Englishman continued: “I remember saying to Rio once: ‘Go and tell your f***ing manager to f*** off!’ “And you know what, he turned around, he said: ‘I’m not telling him!’ GettySir Alex Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles, and sought to get referees on his side throughout his career[/caption] Credit: YouTube: @TheOverlapClattenburg recalled snapping back at some of the Scottish manager’s tactics[/caption] “Because you knew what they were doing. It was one after another. It wasn’t the decision, they didn’t care because they couldn’t change that decision. “It was the next one, they wanted that next decision, so there were those mind games.” Clattenburg also detailed the fiery encounters he shared with Premier League-winning former Liverpool boss Klopp. Having refereed a 2014 Champions League fixture between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, where the German was manager at the time, the ex-referee revealed Klopp rowed with him after he took a picture with Madrid legend Marcelo. He said: “Jurgen was difficult. “I had a big run-in with Jurgen and I was lucky because it was at Real Madrid and he was Dortmund manager, and they had just been beaten 3-0. AFPJurgen Klopp managed in the Premier League between 2015 and 2024, and proved a tricky customer for Clattenburg[/caption] “I thought I had a good game, the assessor came in from UEFA [said]: ‘You’ve had a good game’. “And it was Marcelo, the fullback, [it was] crazy, but he said: ‘Can I have a picture?’ “And I’m like: ‘What? With me?’ and he said: ‘Yeah, can I have a picture?’” He continued: “We took the picture and Jurgen came past and he went: ‘F****** hell! Is that why we got beat f****** 3-0?’ “And I turned around, I said ‘You’re f****** lucky you f****** got beat 3-0, f*** off!’ And everyone laughed.” The pair’s frosty relationship continued when the enigmatic coach took charge of the Reds in 2015, with Clattenburg sharing how Klopp once tried to intimidate him before a crunch match against Chelsea. Clattenburg recalled: “He [Klopp] never, ever brought the team sheet in, never. “It was always the assistant manager. You used to have to brief the captains [before a match], so we would brief the captains at the clubs. GettyJurgen Klopp won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool[/caption] “Jurgen came in. It was against Chelsea when the portakabins were there because the stadium was getting renovated. It was Jordan [Henderson] and John Terry who were the captains. “I was surprised when he [Klopp] came in, I’m thinking ‘That’s not usual, Jurgen coming in with the team sheets’. “And he just stares at me, and he stares at me for 30 seconds, and I just didn’t say anything.”
Mark Clattenburg has opened up on the explosive interactions he shared with some of the Premier League’s most iconic managers.
The English referee stepped away from the English top-flight in 2017 after 13 years in the job, during which time he established himself among the top match officials in the world.
Having overseen games on the biggest of stages, including European Championship and Champions League finals, Clattenburg was tasked with keeping some of football’s biggest names in check.
And it’s fair to say the Premier League’s top bosses proved a real test for the 50-year-old in his career.
Appearing on The Overlap’s Fan Debate, Clattenburg revealed the intimidation tactics used by Sir Alex Ferguson and Jurgen Klopp in an attempt to gain the edge in big fixtures.
So much so in fact, that the former official once responded by delivering an expletive-laden message to legendary ex-Manchester United boss Ferguson.
With Fergie’s teams of the 2000s notorious for piling the pressure on referees, Clattenburg admitted to trying to get back at them.
He recalled: ”I remember Manchester United, and how they used to do it.
“Fergie, I’m convinced, used to send one player at a time because he knew if you kept sending the same player, eventually he’s going to get cautioned.”
Clattenburg then explained how he colourfully asked Rio Ferdinand to let Ferguson know he was aware of their tactics.
The Englishman continued: “I remember saying to Rio once: ‘Go and tell your f***ing manager to f*** off!’
“And you know what, he turned around, he said: ‘I’m not telling him!’
“Because you knew what they were doing. It was one after another. It wasn’t the decision, they didn’t care because they couldn’t change that decision.
“It was the next one, they wanted that next decision, so there were those mind games.”
Clattenburg also detailed the fiery encounters he shared with Premier League-winning former Liverpool boss Klopp.
Having refereed a 2014 Champions League fixture between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, where the German was manager at the time, the ex-referee revealed Klopp rowed with him after he took a picture with Madrid legend Marcelo.
He said: “Jurgen was difficult.
“I had a big run-in with Jurgen and I was lucky because it was at Real Madrid and he was Dortmund manager, and they had just been beaten 3-0.
“I thought I had a good game, the assessor came in from UEFA [said]: ‘You’ve had a good game’.
“And it was Marcelo, the fullback, [it was] crazy, but he said: ‘Can I have a picture?’
“And I’m like: ‘What? With me?’ and he said: ‘Yeah, can I have a picture?’”
He continued: “We took the picture and Jurgen came past and he went: ‘F****** hell! Is that why we got beat f****** 3-0?’
“And I turned around, I said ‘You’re f****** lucky you f****** got beat 3-0, f*** off!’ And everyone laughed.”
The pair’s frosty relationship continued when the enigmatic coach took charge of the Reds in 2015, with Clattenburg sharing how Klopp once tried to intimidate him before a crunch match against Chelsea.
Clattenburg recalled: “He [Klopp] never, ever brought the team sheet in, never.
“It was always the assistant manager. You used to have to brief the captains [before a match], so we would brief the captains at the clubs.
“Jurgen came in. It was against Chelsea when the portakabins were there because the stadium was getting renovated. It was Jordan [Henderson] and John Terry who were the captains.
“I was surprised when he [Klopp] came in, I’m thinking ‘That’s not usual, Jurgen coming in with the team sheets’.
“And he just stares at me, and he stares at me for 30 seconds, and I just didn’t say anything.”
