ENGLISH Premier League ref Mark Clattenburg has broken his silence over the row with Chelsea midfielder Mikel John Obi.
The Daily Star reports the Prem referee was accused of saying “shut up you monkey" to the Nigeria international in 2012.
The FA accepted the player had believed the ref had racially abused him - but Clattenburg was found to have no case to answer.
Chelsea star Mikel was subsequently given a three-match ban and fined £60,000 by the FA for threatening behaviour.
In a rare interview, Clattenburg has spoken only about the incident and how it affected him.
He told AP: "It was a tough moment in life and the pressures were huge.
“It took me a little while to come back because I didn't know if I wanted to referee or not because I lost the love for refereeing."
