Mark Clattenburg, former Premier League referee, has expressed his pleasure that “common sense” has prevailed in the investigation of assistant referee Constantine Hatzidakis’ clash with Liverpool defender Andy Robertson. Hatzidakis was cleared of any wrongdoing and will return to officiating this Saturday, running the line in a Sky Bet Championship clash between Preston and Blackburn. Clattenburg has advised Hatzidakis that the scrutiny will be intense but that it will be forgotten about after one game. Hatzidakis is understood to have apologised to Robertson on a Zoom call last week, which was accepted by the Scotland captain.
Clattenburg also commented on the growing trend of players surrounding referees over decisions in the Premier League this season. He suggested that restricting only captains to speak with match officials may improve the level of respect. He will be back in the middle for Soccer Aid at Old Trafford on June 11, ready to receive an earful from ex-Manchester United duo Gary Neville and Paul Scholes when England take on a World XI. The main purpose of the event is to raise money for UNICEF, which Clattenburg has seen grow significantly over the years.