If not the finest, the Premier League is nonetheless within the top tier of international soccer competition. Teams and players from all around the world compete in this competition. It attracts a sizable audience, rivaling those of Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1, and Bundesliga.
This league's lack of a clear favorite to win the title is one of its strongest qualities. Hence, no club has an unfair advantage over the rest of the league, and each of them has an equal chance of winning the championship. Maybe that's why the Premier League is so intensely contested and the matches are often close and might go to any team.
Also, it is ensured that the officials are not partial to either side in order to handle the event in a fair manner. A case in point has emerged, which may come as a surprise to many fans. Spectators were treated to a Premier League season full of decisive games and dramatic finishes in 2016, and many refused to accept Leicester had won the championship.
What happened in 2016 in the Premier League?
After narrowly avoiding relegation the year before under Nigel Pearson, Leicester City shocked the world by winning the Premier League in 2015-16. Ex-Foxes captain Danny Simpson believes an ex-referee helped 5000/1 odds Claudio Ranieri and his players achieve the unthinkable. According to Simpson, former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg admitted to him that he didn't send off one of his teammates at the time on purpose because he wanted them to win the championship.
"I remember Clattenburg, mate. Wow. I think he should have sent someone away. He said something like, ‘I should have sent you there, but I want you to win.’ Dude, that was crazy. That was crazy, you know, I swear to God. Good job there is no VAR but yes.
"I had to pretend I didn’t hear it. I was laughing my bollocks off inside and I thought, ‘Yeah, we’re doing this.’ I think it was Drinky [Danny Drinkwater] actually. It was his second yellow or something and he could’ve easily sent him off but he didn’t", the now-free agent defender explained on the Under the Cosh podcast.
The allegations are certainly a shock, but the King Power Stadium side still won the championship by 10 points, so it wasn't the defining moment of their season. The accusations have left Clattenburg furious, and he revealed that he is now weighing his legal options to respond.
