The referee had already been front and centre for another Ronaldo triumph just weeks before that historic Paris night. In May 2016, Clattenburg was tasked with controlling the Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, a clash that Los Blancos edged on penalties. Ronaldo scored the winning spot-kick and basked in the glory. Barely a month later, the Portuguese legend was back in another final, this time representing his country. And once again, Clattenburg was the official in the middle as Ronaldo and Portugal marched to glory.
Clattenburg, on the Beast Mode On podcast, recalled making his way to collect his medal at the Stade de France after Portugal’s 1-0 extra-time victory. It was then that Ronaldo made his move.
“I was lucky with Ronaldo in a way that his two major finals, he won the Champions League for Real Madrid against Atletico in 2016…,” he said. “A month later, I refereed the Euro final, Portugal [vs] France, and he won again. Going up to get my medal up the stairs, and he’s at the top of, like, a respect line. So, as I was walking through, I’m at the front, Ronaldo grabs my face and tries to shake it, you know, as a congratulations. I’m like, ‘Ronaldo, get off my face, I’m live on TV!’”
What makes the story even more remarkable is Clattenburg’s unique place in Ronaldo’s legacy. While the forward would go on to scoop up more Champions League medals with Madrid, Clattenburg remains the only referee to preside over a major international trophy win for the Portuguese icon.
Clattenburg’s refereeing career after leaving English football in 2017 has been colourful in its own right. He took up roles in Saudi Arabia, China and Egypt, before a short-lived consultancy gig with Nottingham Forest as a referee analyst. Now, the County Durham-born official has swapped the pitch for pantomime. He struts into British living rooms every weekend as one of the star attractions in the reboot of the Gladiators TV series, playing up the villain role in front of a new audience.
While Clattenburg’s life has taken a dramatic detour into entertainment, Ronaldo remains laser-focused on football. He continues to lead the line for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League and is gearing up for a blockbuster top-of-the-table clash against Al-Ittihad this Friday night.
