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Former international referee Mark Clattenburg recalled the incident that led him to stick his tongue out during the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid in Milan in 2016.
His gesture came after Pepe collided with Yannick Carrasco and fell to the ground, where he rolled for a few seconds. However, Clattenburg pointed out that making fun of the Real Madrid center-back was not his initial intention.
“I remember going out and everyone was talking my language, they weren’t talking about my performance as a referee, which was a good thing,” Clattenburg told Paddy Power’s From The Horse’s Mouth podcast.
“So I thought, ‘you know what, that wasn’t a bad thing.’ But it was just a reaction, my mouth was completely dry, it was a very hot day.
“It worked perfectly because when you look back, Pepe was on the floor – and oh my gosh what a smooth place. Rolling.”
Clattenburg went on to reveal that he has a great relationship with several elite players, including former Real Madrid and current Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo.
“I remember seeing Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo, when he first came to the Premier League, and thinking ‘f *** me, how good are these?'” Clattenburg added.
“I treated them the same as everyone else. And that’s probably why I had a warm relationship with a lot of the great players.
“Especially with people like Cristiano Ronaldo. You know how he was at the end, when he was trying to grab us for my medal in the Euro Cup.
“There was a lot of respect there. I had a great relationship with Ronaldo. And when you have a good relationship with them on the pitch, they make your life very easy.”
Source: m.allfootballapp.com
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