Clattenburg reveals boot-throwing confrontation with Mourinho over handball call

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has revealed an altercation with Jose Mourinho in which he threw a boot toward the Portuguese manager after Mourinho pressed him over a disputed handball that cost Manchester United points in a league match against Stoke City. The confrontation occurred when Mourinho, insisting a handball had occurred, argued with Clattenburg about a call involving Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross and demanded to see the replay.

Clattenburg recounted on Daily Mail Sport's Whistleblowers podcast that Mourinho believed the handball had been missed and pressed the official to review the incident. He noted that Mourinho was adamant it was a penalty and asked if the decision had been reviewed on video. After confirming what he had seen, Clattenburg said he threw his boot in Mourinho's direction, an act that left the manager stunned and his dressing room momentarily hanging in the balance. Clattenburg added that he later watched the incident back and concluded it reflected mind games, bitterness and nastiness. He also said his relationship with Mourinho cooled in the years that followed, contrasting the charm he once showed to his later persona.

Mourinho was unveiled as Benfica manager last Thursday, signing a two-year contract at the Lisbon club where he began his managerial career in 2000. The appointment follows his departure from Fenerbahce, where he was sacked last month after the club failed to qualify for the Champions League, and his willingness to return to the club that helped launch his coaching profile.

Clattenburg also recalled that Mourinho first sought to shape his refereeing career in England with charm and persuasive talk, even sending a respectful message to Clattenburg’s hotel when Mourinho was serving a one-match ban while he was in Madrid. The former referee said Mourinho’s approach was a feature of his early years in England, but that the dynamic shifted as Mourinho’s teams faced tougher challenges and fewer victories. In Turkey, according to Clattenburg, Mourinho grew bitter and began openly challenging referees, a far cry from the suave image he projected in Chelsea years.

The remarks place a spotlight on the complex relationship between one of the game’s best-known managers and the officiating community, as Mourinho pivots to a new chapter with Benfica amid a career characterized by dramatic reversals in fortune and public perception. Clattenburg’s account underscores how pressure from high-profile managers can escalate beyond the touchline and into dressing rooms, revealing a side of the sport that often remains behind closed doors. The Benfica appointment marks another stage in Mourinho’s long-running quest to reinvent himself and restore a sense of forward momentum after recent setbacks in his club career.