Clattenburg admits Ramos UCL final goal in 2016 was offside
The goal scored by Sergio Ramos in the 2016 Champions League final for Real Madrid against Atletico de Madrid was offside, the match referee Mark Clattenburg has admitted.
The English official was in the middle for the Madrid derby in the showpiece of the competition in Milan – two years after Los Blancos had also beaten their city rivals in the deciding game.
Central defender Ramos poked home from close range after Gareth Bale had flicked on a Toni Kroos free-kick in the 15th minute of the game in San Siro but there was no VAR at the time and the goal was allowed to stand.
Ramos was one of the five Madrid scorers in the shootout, which was decided by Atleti full-back Juanfran Torres being foiled from the spot.
“In that final Real Madrid went 1-0 up in the first half but the goal was slightly offside and we realised at half-time, Clattenburg wrote in his column for the Daily Mail and cited by Marca. “It was a hard call and my assistant missed it.”
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Clattenburg went on to recall awarding Atleti a penalty in the second half of the game – which again was not taken – but it was not Ramos who complained for Madrid, but Pepe: “I gave Atletico a penalty early in the second half when Pepe fouled Fernando Torres,” he added. “Pepe was furious and said to me in perfect English: ‘Never a penalty, Mark.’
“I said to him: ‘Your first goal shouldn’t have stood.’ It shut him up.”