Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg issued a public apology for his comments regarding the alleged racism incident involving Vinícius Jr. and Prestianni, in which he harshly criticized the Brazilian, describing his words as "clumsy." During the stoppage of the match between Benfica and Real Madrid, Clattenburg, commenting for TNT Sports, stated: "As a referee, I have faced this situation in the past. All he can do is record the incident in his report. Then, UEFA will analyze it. It’s a very difficult position for the referee. It’s not his fault. Vinícius Júnior did score an excellent goal, but he should have gone back to the other side of the field and the game could have continued," the 50-year-old Englishman added. These comments sparked a wave of criticism, with calls for his removal from the channel. In response, Clattenburg posted an apology on his social media. "Nothing justifies racism in sports or in life. I am grateful for the opportunity to follow up on what happened last night; I was wrong, I apologize," he began, not mentioning Prestianni. "It was on television, live; my job is to react in the moment, and the words I used were clumsy and incorrect. I am already learning from this and I thank my colleagues who covered the situation with class," his statement read.
Mark Clattenburg During the remains central to this story.
Mark Clattenburg During the remains central to this story.
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