Former Premier League referee, Mark Clattenburg forced to flee Egypt after he was accused of being in a gay relationship

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Former Premier League referee, Mark Clattenburg forced to flee Egypt after he was accused of being in a gay relationship

Former Premier League referee, Mark Clattenburg has left his job as head of Egypt's refereeing committee over safety concerns after he was accused of being in a gay relationship.

Clattenburg, who took up the role in Egypt last August, also received threats from Zamalek supporters and personal attacks from the club's president.

The former Premier League referee has been heavily criticized by Mortada Mansour, the president of Zamalek Sporting Club, the 14-time record winners of the Egyptian Premier League.

Mansour crticised Clattenburg's role within Egyptian football, according to the Sun, while incorrectly claiming he had left his wife to start a gay relationship. The 47-year-old also faced threats from the club's supporters, prompting his departure.

Clattenburg also had concerns his refereeing appointments were being changed by the league, while he struggled to persuade foreign officials to travel to the nation to oversee big matches.

The former referee had reportedly not been paid two months of his £32,000-a-month salary.

The Egyptian Football Association confirmed Clattenburg has resigned from his post, but the organisation says his exit still need to be ratified.

'England's Mark Clattenburg, head of the Referees Committee of the Egyptian Football Association, resigned from his post on Tuesday evening,' a statement read.

'The Board of Directors of the Egyptian Football Association will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday, to decide on Clattenburg's resignation.

Egyptian newspaper Al-Ahram reported that the Egyptian FA were 'surprised' by Clattenburg's resignation.

The organisation denied refereeing appointments had been changed and said it would 'support his return'.

The FA also claimed concerns over his safety were 'an exaggeration', labelling the country as the 'safest in the world'.

Clattenburg has held multiple roles abroad since stepping down as a Premier League referee in 2017.