During Amazon Prime Sport’s coverage of Liverpool’s 3-1 victory over AC Milan in the Champions League, former referee Mark Clattenburg made a striking revelation that caught the attention of many.
Liverpool kicked off their revamped Champions League campaign in impressive fashion, securing a win at the San Siro, one of six clubs to triumph on opening night. Amazon Prime Sport broadcasted the match, featuring input from ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg, who offered his perspective on a few contentious decisions.
Around the hour mark, two moments raised eyebrows. Milan’s left-back Theo Hernandez was brought down by both Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch. Seconds later, Cody Gakpo was fouled by Christian Pulisic and Youssouf Fofana. Despite both incidents, the referee opted not to award free-kicks. Co-commentator Alan Shearer remarked, “I think he’s just evening it up there, isn’t he?”
Clattenburg added to this by explaining, “I think the referee needs to give one or two small fouls to get the judgement back.”
His comments offered insight into how referees may handle decisions in high-pressure environments.
he idea that officials might let certain fouls slide in order to maintain control of a game left many Liverpool fans—and football fans in general—shocked.
It’s well-known that referees can be influenced by the crowd, with statistics often showing that home teams tend to benefit more from decisions. Clattenburg’s remarks seemed to suggest that referees deliberately manage fouls to diffuse tense atmospheres, as appeared to be the case in the lively San Siro.
While this approach might help keep a match from spiraling out of control, it does raise questions about the fairness and integrity of officiating at the highest level. In this instance, the referee’s decisions didn’t affect the overall outcome of the game, but one might wonder if AC Milan fans would feel the same way.
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