• Premier League

Referee Clattenburg again out of action

ESPN staff
November 12, 2012

Referee Mark Clattenburg has again been left off the list of referees for the coming weekend's Premier League fixtures.

The Professional Match Game Officials (PGMO) organisation, the referees' governing body, has left Clattenburg off the refereeing list for a third successive weekend since Chelsea made an official complaint against him following their match against Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on October 28.

The London club, who lost 3-2 in controversial fashion, alleged that Clattenburg had used "inappropriate language" towards John Obi Mikel, with some Blues players understood to have said that a racist term was used.

The Football Association has interviewed Clattenburg and is confident that a verdict will be delivered in the coming days.

The official, who is on FIFA's shortlist for the 2014 World Cup, has denied the claims, but Chelsea held an internal investigation and put together a dossier of evidence for the FA to consider.

The Metropolitan Police are also looking into the alleged incident after a complaint was lodged by the Society for Black Lawyers.

If the FA rules that Clattenburg does not have a case to answer, he could return to refereeing a week on Saturday.

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