Former referee Perez Burrull expressed his unease with Mark Clattenburg‘s comments on the way he handled his decisions in the 2016 Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
The English official was in charge of the all-Spanish final and was criticised for his controversial decisions, which sparked complaints during and after the game.
In an interview for the Brazilian Shirt Name podcast, Clattenburg confessed that he tried to make up for his mistake to not overrule Los Blancos’ opener for offside by awarding Atletico a dubious penalty later in the game.
“It is surreal and a shame to hear these things because it totally goes against what it is to be a referee,” Perez Burrull told Radio MARCA.
“A good referee must carry errors on his shoulders, and you can’t make up for it with another. Getting confused is part of his job.
“What if this can make you think that everyone in the refereeing world does this? Yes, well, it’s the usual thing.
“I made a mistake at Real Madrid vs Osasuna and they froze me out. You know, when this happens, it will look like you favour one and harm another. It is a mistake to think that.
“The referee never wants to be wrong. Clattenburg defines what a good referee is not. You can’t check your mobile at half time to see if you were mistaken.
“Refereeing has a bit of rebellion in it. You want things to be fair, and it makes you angry that they put a team shirt on you. I have had times that I seemed to be a Barcelona [supporter], and others a Real Madrid one.”