The Englishman appointed to referee the European Championship final on Sunday has enjoyed a rollercoaster career that saw him appointed as the youngest elite referee in England and then survive a series of setbacks before rising to the top.
Mark Clattenburg’s season comes to an end at the final between France and Portugal at the Stade de France on the edge of Paris with his 50th game since last August, having already refereed England’s FA Cup final and the Champion’s league final.
Clattenburg, 41, is a controversial figure reportedly unpopular among England’s conservative refereeing elite, but supported by ex-referee and UEFA refereeing chief Pierluigi Collina.
The former head of England’s elite referees’ organization, Keith Hackett, said Clattenburg had beaten the system, and had been rightly rewarded with Sunday’s final. “He deserves it thoroughly,” Hackett told the “You are the Ref” website, “not least for having the mental fortitude to keep going in the face of what appears to have been a lack of faith among his bosses.”
Clattenburg has officiated at three games in France, none of which has proved controversial. He was praised for his handling of incidents in the game between Croatia and the Czech Republic when he had to suspend play after flares were thrown onto pitch.