Referee Mark Clattenburg quits England for Saudi Arabia

Famous referee, Mark Clattenburg, has quit the English Premier League (EPL) to continue his career in Saudi Arabia.

Clattenburg has now taken up a job with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).

The Professional Match Official Limited (PGMOL) has issued a statement praising his contributions to the English game.

“PGMOL would like to wish Mark Clattenburg well as he prepares for his move to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation,” the statement read.

“Since joining the PGMOL Select Group in 2004, Mark developed into one of our top officials, refereeing at the highest level and setting standards for others to follow.

“His accomplishments are numerous and last season saw Mark achieve a memorable treble, on top of another consistently excellent season in the Premier League, as he officiated three major cup finals – the FA Cup final, the UEFA Champions League final and the UEFA Euro 2016 final.

“Mark is a talented referee, he has been a great asset to the English game and hopefully an inspiration to those who want to get into refereeing at the grass roots of the game.

“We understand this is an exciting opportunity for Mark as well as further underlining what high esteem English match officials are held throughout the world game.”

Clattenburg took charge of his first Football League game as a 25-year-old in a third division match between Chesterfield and York City.

Four years later, he had ascended to the Premier League, where his first match was Crystal Palace’s game against Everton.