Nottingham Forest were ridiculed for their social media outburst (Picture: Getty)
Former referee Mark Clattenburg has aimed a huge dig at Gary Neville and has explained his shock decision to leave Nottingham Forest as a consultant.
Neville urged Clattenburg to resign after Forest’s social media tantrum about VAR and English officiating following their 2-0 defeat to relegation rivals Everton.
Forest wanted three seperate penalties in their match against Everton, although it was later confirmed that only one of them should have genuinely been given.
After Forest’s astonishing statement on X, in which they called out a VAR official for being a Luton Town fan, Neville took aim at Clattenburg and said: ‘Mark Clattenburg must resign tonight.
‘If words go out in which question the integrity of a referee and claims someone is a cheat for supporting another club, then he’s supporting what is being said.
‘He would lose all credibility with referees in the game. He should stand down tonight and distance himself from that statement.’
Clattenburg has now offered his response after quitting his role at the City Ground and told the Daily Mail: ‘[My job] has led to the unmerited targeting of me, personally, by certain participants and pundits.
Gary Neville urged Mark Clattenburg to resign over the incident (Picture: Getty)
‘Such reactions and outcome was not expected and is regrettable, as it is my sincere belief that there is a place for and value in such a role in the modern game.’
Speaking more generally about his Forest exit, Clattenburg added: ‘I will no longer be providing match analysis services to Nottingham Forest Football Club.
‘Since February this year, I have been proud to have done so under a consultancy agreement between NFFC and Referee Consultant Ltd.
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‘I performed my services under the consultancy agreement in good faith, to the best of my abilities and in the hope of using my extensive experience as a match official to help NFFC understand how decisions in relation to key match incidents are made amid the workings of VAR.
‘However, it is now clear that the existence and performance of these consultancy services has caused unintended friction between NFFC and other participants, to the extent that it has become more of a hindrance than help to NFFC.
‘I am grateful to NFFC and wish them all the best during the remainder of the season and in the future. It’s been an honour.’