Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has revealed what was really said when he clashed with former Liverpool and England star Adam Lallana back in 2014
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NORWICH, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: Referee, Mark Clattenburg looks on as Adam Lallana of Southampton complains during the Barclays Premier League match between Norwich City and Southampton at Carrow Road on March 9, 2013 in Norwich, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Mark Clattenburg and Adam Lallana had words back in the midfielder's Southampton days
(Image: 2013 Getty Images)
Ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has opened up on a spat he had with ex-Liverpool star Adam Lallana. Talking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Clattenburg was asked by Reds legend Jamie Carragher and Paul Scholes to shed light on some of his biggest bust-ups with players over the years.
The clash with Lallana is regarded as one of the former official's most infamous controversies from his days on the pitch, to the point where it made its way into the public domain.
Clattenburg, who was the referee for Southampton's 2-1 defeat to Everton in 2014, was accused by the Saints of using 'abusive and insulting' language towards their captain after the game, before being cleared of misconduct by the FA.
"I remember I had a fight with Adam Lallana," Clattenburg began, reflecting on the heated incident. "I was going back to Everton after so many years, and Adam gave us dog's abuse. I think he was frustrated at the end of the game.
"I used to take into account a bit if they got beat, a bit of frustration, it was Christmas so he probably had too much turkey and stuff like that. He was a bit upset.
"There were some choice words said and I said to him, 'look, you've changed since you've played for England'. I wanted to diffuse the situation. 'You've f***ing changed since you've played for England'. And he looked at us, and walked off. And that was that, nothing was said anymore and I thought, well I diffused that quite well, I'm happy with myself.
SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 28: Referee Mark Clattenburg talks Adam Lallana of Southampton during the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Norwich City at St Mary's Stadium on November 28, 2012 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images)
Mark Clattenburg has opened up on his clash with Adam Lallana
"Next day I read whatever the newspaper [was] and headline was 'Mark Clattenburg says this to Adam Lallana'. So I get a call from Mike Riley, my boss (former head of PGMOL), and he said, 'did you say that?' And I said, 'I did, but tell him next time I'll f*****g send him off'.
"Now you see, you can't have it both ways. If he's giving us dog's abuse and I'm not sending him off, why was it in the media the next day? And it could only have come from Adam Lallana, even though he's used his club to make a complaint."
According to Clattenburg, Lallana attempted to smooth things over on the opening weekend of the following season, after sealing a £25million move to Liverpool from the Saints that summer.
Liverpool's English midfielder Adam Lallana (R) talks with referee Mark Clattenburg (L) during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 11, 2016. / AFP / Lindsey PARNABY / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images)
Adam Lallana gestures to Mark Clattenburg
Clattenburg added: "He signs for Liverpool and I'm refereeing Liverpool (on the) opening day of the season. And he comes up to us in the tunnel and says 'Mark, I wasn't behind it'. And I went, 'you f*****g were you little scruff'.
"But he was behind it. I'm only being honest with him. Don't f*****g come just because I'm going to referee and you're thinking I'm going to f*****g send you off again, you know what I mean?
"Why did he make that statement when it should stay on the field? Fair enough, I've heard referees and they swear. If we sent off a player every time they swore at us, come on."
After calling time on his refereeing career in England in 2017, the 50-year-old had stints in various officiating capacities in Saudi Arabia, China and Egypt. He also took charge of the 2016 Euros final and the 2016 Champions League final.
Lallana made 178 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 22 goals before he left for Brighton in 2020. He is now playing for Southampton for a second time after leaving the Seagulls last summer.