Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg was "involved in fresh controversy" after it emerged that the referees' governing body is "investigating his decision to join a talent agency that also represents players," according to James Ducker of the LONDON TIMES. Professional Game Match Officials Ltd. is "concerned about a potential conflict of interest" after the referee signed last week for Catalyst4Soccer, a sports management company "whose clients are predominantly professional footballers." The news came less than 24 hours after Man City Manager Manuel Pellegrini "appeared to question Clattenburg’s impartiality" over the "contentious award" of a penalty to Tottenham in its 2-1 win at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. In a "surprise move," the FA opted to take no disciplinary action against Pellegrini on Monday after reviewing his comments and deciding that "there had not been a clear enough inference by the Chilean of bias on Clattenburg’s part." C4S, which is a division of Catalyst4Management, posted a message on its Twitter account on Friday "announcing Clattenburg as a new client, alongside a picture of the referee signing a contract." Clattenburg is believed to have been "searching for a company that could assist with public or after-dinner speaking engagements and charity requests." However, PGMOL was "not informed" by Clattenburg that he had agreed to join C4S and is "looking into the move," with sources indicating that it is "unusual" for a referee to have an agent who also represents players (LONDON TIMES, 2/16).
