Leicester City’s title winning season will go down in history as one of the sport’s biggest achievements. The Foxes’ incredible 2015-16 season may never be topped.
Claudio Ranieri’s famous spell in charge saw the Italian upset the odds and guide Leicester City to their first Premier League title.
The likes of Jamie Vardy, N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez were crucial but Danny Simpson also suggested the Foxes had also received help from an unsuspecting professional.
READ: He helped PSG knock Liverpool out of the Champions League, but could’ve joined Leicester City in 2020
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
Photo by Plumb Images/Leicester City FC via Getty Images
Danny Simpson once accused Mark Clattenburg of cheating
Simpson made 133 appearances for the Foxes between 2014-2019 and enjoyed huge success. The retired right-back has plenty of stories from his title-winning campaign, but one anecdote nearly landed him in hot water.
Speaking on the Under the Cost podcast in 2023, Simpson alleged former referee Mark Clattenburg unfairly decided against sending a player off because he ‘wanted Leicester to win the title’.
“I remember Clattenburg, mate. I think should have sent someone off and he said something like, ‘I should have sent you off there but I want yous to win it’. It was mad. I swear to God. It’s a good job there was no VAR!
“I had to pretend I didn’t hear it. I was laughing my b—–s off inside and I thought, ‘Yeah, we’re doing this.’
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“I think it was Drinky [Danny Drinkwater] actually. It was his second yellow or something and he could’ve easily sent him off but he didn’t.”
Threatened with legal action
Clattenburg now works as an officiating pundit for TNT Sports and strongly denied Simpson’s allegations at the time.
The 49-year-old, who officiated the Champions League and the Euros 2016 finals, labelled Simpson’s accusations “preposterous” and “ridiculous” and was adamant there was “absolutely no substance”.
Clattenburg also threatened the former right-back with legal action and suggested his lawyers were looking into his comments.
“I fully deny the allegations made by Danny Simpson,” he told the Daily Mail in response to Simpson’s claims
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images
“I find them preposterous. They are very serious and could question my integrity. To suggest I told a player that I wanted Leicester to win the league is ridiculous. It would have been picked up by our microphones.
“I did not book Danny Drinkwater during that season. His claims have absolutely no substance and I have no idea why, seven years later, he has chosen to say this. The matter is now with my lawyer.”
Clattenburg has always maintained Simpson’s allegations are not true. The matter was not investigated.