"I sent him off incorrectly" - Mark Clattenburg reveals ex-Liverpool and Man City star once grabbed his ba*ls after being shown red card

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg recalled an incident between himself and former Liverpool and Manchester City star Craig Bellamy. The English ex-official admitted that a misjudged red card got him into a tough situation with the Welsh forward.

Clattenburg was a referee in the English top flight for 14 years. He also refereed in the finals of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA European Championship in 2016.

During his career, he officiated some hot-headed personalities on the field. Bellamy, who racked up 18 goals and 14 assists in 79 appearances for Liverpool across two stints (2006-07 and 2011-12), was one of them.

In a candid chat, Clattenburg recalled the controversial red card that he brandished at the Welshman and the unusual vengeful act that he consequently faced. Speaking on Daily Mail's Whistleblowers podcast, the 50-year-old said (via SportBible):

"Craig Bellamy grabbed my b**** once. I sent him off incorrectly against Bolton for diving. I'd already cautioned him for dissent, and he was winding me up. I was young and daft, and I should have just ignored him. I remember coming down the tunnel, halftime, going out for the second half. I said to somebody at (Manchester) City: 'How do you put up with him?' I got reported for that."

"Anyway, I ended up sending Craig off, a second yellow for diving. Watching it back, there was contact – he could've played on, but it was likely a penalty. When I next saw him at City, he was talking to somebody. As I walked past, he looked at us, put his arm out and squeezed my b****. But after that, it was all forgotten. Craig wasn't a guy who held grudges. He just moved on from it," Clattenburg added.

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"Some players didn't like me, and I didn't like them!" 😬 Mark Clattenburg on his feisty encounters with Craig Bellamy and Adam Lallana! 👀

After his retirement, Bellamy has pursued a career in management. He currently serves as the manager of the Wales national team and is widely regarded as one of the most astute young British managers.

"He was difficult" - When Mark Clattenburg revealed his bust-up with ex-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp

Ex-Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg once admitted that he was caught in a 'difficult' situation with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

The incident in question took place in 2014, a year prior to the commencement of Klopp's stellar nine-year tenure at Liverpool. The German tactician was in charge of Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund; his side lost 3-0 to Spanish giants Real Madrid on the night.

Speaking to Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher and Manchester United legend Paul Scholes on the Overlap podcast in March 2025, the 50-year-old said (via @DaveOCKOP on X):

"Jurgen was difficult. I had a big run in with Jurgen and I was lucky because it was at Real Madrid and he was Dortmund manager. They'd just been beaten 3-0 and I thought I had a good game. The assessor came in from UEFA (and said) you've had a good game. Marcelo, the (Real Madrid) fullback, says 'can I have a picture?' And I'm like 'What with me?' And he said 'Yeah, can I have a picture?' And his wife was there, and I think some of his family."

"We took the picture and Jurgen came past and he went 'F*cking Hell. Is that why we got beat f*cking 3-0'? And I turned around and said 'You're f*cking lucky, you f*cking only got beat 3-0! Now f*ck off!' And everyone laughed but I was pleased I was in Real Madrid not Dortmund because I would have had to get out of Dortmund alive. But that was his mentality," Clattenburg added.

After his departure from Liverpool in 2024, Klopp joined Red Bull GmbH as their Head of Global Soccer (since January 2025).