ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:ARSENE WENGER has criticised Chelsea for helping to turn the Mark Clattenburg race row controversy into a damaging spectacle and for initially "going public with little proof", suggesting it was always preferable to resolve such issues man-to-man and behind closed doors.
Clattenburg is understood to deny the allegation that he called the Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi a “monkey” during the club’s home defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
The referee has heard support from the referees’ union, Prospect, and the Professional Game Match Officials while, most significantly, his assistant referees and fourth official, with whom he was in contact via microphones, are believed to be ready to stand by him.
Chelsea, having complained to the match delegate in the aftermath of the game, formalised their demand for action on Wednesday with a complaint to the FA. They have submitted witness statements to the governing body and they believe that Clattenburg has a case to answer.
The next move will surely come from the FA, in the form of a decision over whether to charge Clattenburg. That is not expected imminently. The Metropolitan police, too, have opened an investigation.
Chelsea’s second official statement on the matter on Wednesday once again made no mention of the racial dimension to the allegation, referring only to Clattenburg’s “inappropriate language”.
Wenger, the Arsenal manager, seemed to pick up on the criticism of the timeline that Chelsea have followed. After making the initial complaint in public, they investigated more thoroughly over three days, before they took the decision to formally call upon the FA to act.
“I prefer, when I didn’t behave well, that I have an explanation with the referee at the end of the game or on another day, [rather] than going public with little proof,” Wenger said. “I’m not a great believer in making these stories public.
“I have not always behaved very well, they are very heated situations but I am a deep supporter of doing that internally. One of the great things in sport, especially in England, is that when the battle is on, you can sort out the problems you had internally. If it becomes a sport to make the lawyers rich, I am not a fan of it.”
Chelsea maintain that it would have been disingenuous of them not to have flagged up their concerns promptly.
The club and the police have also opened an investigation after a supporter at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday was photographed making an apparent “monkey” gesture towards a United player.
Guardian Service
