Mark Clattenburg resigns as referee analyst at Nottingham Forest after VAR controversy

Clattenburg has been at the center of two major controversies involving the club since taking on the advisory role in February, first speaking out about a drop ball incident in a match against Liverpool and then criticizing the refereeing in Forest’s match against Everton on April, the 21st.

The former Premier League official issued a statement via the club’s official website, saying that providing services to the East Midlands had caused “unintentional friction” with other clubs and had become “more of a hindrance than a help” to Forest.

Last month, the Football Association called for daily mail to columnist Clattenburg for his observations on comments he made about the referees in the 2-0 defeat to Everton last month.

Clattenburg, who is now also known as a referee on the Gladiators TV series reboot, said: “Since February this year, I am proud to have done so under a consultancy agreement between NFFC and Referee Consultant Ltd.

“I provided my services under the consultancy agreement in good faith, to the best of my ability and in the hope of using my extensive experience as a match referee to help the NFFC understand how decisions are made in relation to key match incidents in means of VAR operation.

“However, it is now clear that the existence and performance of these consulting services have caused unintentional friction between NFFC and other participants, to the extent that they have become more of a hindrance than a help to NFFC. It has also led to an undeserved focus on me, personally, by certain participants and experts.

“These reactions and results were not expected and it is regrettable, as I sincerely believe that there is a place and value for that role in modern football.

“I am grateful to the NFFC and wish them all the best for the rest of the season and beyond. It has been an honour.”

Club sources said at the time of Clattenburg’s appointment that they hoped he could become a “conduit” between the club and refereeing body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). It was understood to be the first such appointment in English football.

Clattenburg went to the mixed zone to speak to reporters after Forest’s defeat to Liverpool at the City Ground in March to point out that referee Paul Tierney had made a mistake in returning possession to Liverpool for an uncontested drop towards the Full Time.

Minutes after the 2-0 defeat to Everton on April 21, Forest issued an extraordinary club statement criticizing the fact that they had not been awarded any of the three penalties claimed in the match. The statement added that Forest had warned PGMOL that VAR Stuart Attwell was a fan of relegation rivals Luton but had not been dropped.

It is understood that Clattenburg had contacted PGMOL before the match to seek advice on how coach Nuno Espirito Santo should respond if asked by journalists about Attwell’s affiliations, but that Clattenburg made no request or suggestion to remove Attwell. of the party.

The Premier League is investigating Forest’s statement under its rules, while the Football Association is examining comments from Clattenburg, Nuno and full-back Neco Williams. Forest issued a further statement in response to events at Everton calling on PGMOL to consider “contextual” rivalries when making appointments, as well as long-standing local rivalries.