Clattenburg bolts from Egypt after claim he was in a gay relationship

English referee Mark Clattenburg has left his job as the head of Egypt's refereeing committee over safety concerns, after reportedly receiving threats from a set of supporters and personal attacks from club officials.

The former Premier League referee took up the role last August, where he was tasked with boosting the performance of officials in Egypt.
But Clattenburg has been heavily criticised by Mortada Mansour, the president of Zamalek Sporting Club, the 14-time record winners of the Egyptian Premier League. 

Mansour criticised Clattenburg's role within Egyptian football, according to The Sun. In one TV appearance, Mansour called out the Englishman for corruption while holding a similar role in Saud Arabia, decribing him as a 'bribed man' and suggesting that he gave certain referees certain matches in order to ensure the matches finished early. The claims are entirely baseless. 

Clattenburg, who is married to wife Claire, has also faced allegations from Mansour about his personal life. 

It has incorrectly been claimed he had left his wife to start a gay relationship.

Although same-sex sexual activity is not explicitly criminalised in Egypt, LGBT people have been prosecuted on the charge of 'debauchery' in the past and there is little public acceptance of homosexuality. 

Khaled Abu Bakr, a prominent laywer in Egypt, has called for urgent government intervention to address the accusations of corruption against Clattenburg, warning that the situation could do untold danger to the country's international reputation in sport.

The 47-year-old has also reportedly faced threats from Zamalek 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.