Mark Clattenburg left stunned by unusual Hojlund moment against Chelsea
Manchester United’s miserable domestic season reached a new low after a 1-0 loss to Chelsea, leaving them in 16th place with just one game left. Things are bleak at Old Trafford, although the Europa League final against Tottenham gives supporters some hope, but fans have been forced to endure the constant failures in the league, with no attacking threat.
On the continent, however, United have produced some impressive performances, going unbeaten up until the Europa League final. But just when you thought it couldn’t get worse during the second half against Chelsea, there was a strange episode involving the highly criticised Rasmus Højlund, which astonished former referee Mark Clattenburg.
The Red Devils escaped Stamford Bridge without picking up any new injuries—a key objective heading into the match.
However, referee Chris Kavanagh had a busy evening. United received six yellow cards, and VAR overturned a Chelsea penalty appeal. Early in the second half, the game was paused due to an unusual moment that left Rasmus Højlund chuckling. Just five minutes after the restart, play stopped because of an unexpected wardrobe malfunction.
The former referee was stunned with the bizarre situation
For those curious about the unexpected wardrobe malfunction, Rasmus Højlund stepped onto the pitch for the second half wearing a fitness tracker. However, the referee quickly noticed it and told him to take it off. The Danish striker found the moment amusing and laughed as he removed the device. In an interview with United in Focus, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg addressed the incident and explained that fitness trackers are not permitted during competitive matches.
Mark Clattenburg referred to the situation as “strange” and said that it was the first time he had seen a player wear fitness monitors during a match. He stressed that fitness monitoring devices are prohibited by the Laws of the Game regarding players’ equipment.
If a match official identifies this, the player must leave the field to remove the device. The former referee recalled similar cases during his career when players have attempted to hide jewellery down their socks and then put it on during the game and after being detected instructed the player to remove it.
The Former Referee, in an interview with UnitedInFocus, recalled the situation as ‘bizarre’
“This is a bizarre situation and first time I have seen a player wearing a fitness tracker in a match,” Clattenburg said. “This is not allowed under players equipment in the laws of the game and when seen by the match official, he must leave the field and have it removed.”
“In my time as a referee, I have had players putting jewellery down their sock and then putting it on during the game and when seen, they are told to remove it.”
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Though this incident may seem lighthearted and amusing, many pundits and fans worldwide are likely to criticise the Danish player, branding him absent-minded—an accusation that won’t do him any favours given the harsh criticism he’s already faced as one of the league’s poorest-performing strikers. With the Europa League final fast approaching, here’s hoping the Danish forward can finally prove his true value on the big stage.