Keith Hackett has slammed Mark Clattenburg's claims that he "allowed" Tottenham Hotspur to "self-destruct" in their failed hunt for the Premier League title.
The match official, who left the top flight in February earlier this year, was the man in the middle when Tottenham let a two-goal lead slip against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the 2015-16 season.
The match, which handed the title to surprise winners Leicester City, ended in a 2-2 draw, but the scoreline was not the main focus due to the two mass brawls that broke out during play.
Despite the fiery encounter, no players were sent off, but Clattenburg brandished 12 yellow cards, nine of which were handed to Tottenham players.
The County Durham-born referee has now claimed that he purposefully did not send off any Spurs players because he did not want to be deemed by the media as responsible for the team's title demise.
Hackett, who used to be Clattenburg's boss as general manager of the Professional Game Match Officials Board, has been left baffled by the claims.
"I think it is a nonsense," The Telegraph quotes Hackett as saying. "It is disappointing to hear him say that he avoided giving a red card for his own self-preservation.
"When I saw the comments, I thought, 'What's going on?' And so have other referees I have spoken to. He is one of the top referees and it is not something I have ever seen in him."
Clattenburg currently works as the head of refereeing for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.
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