Martin Atkinson and Mark Clattenburg were involved in a brawl during a five-a-side game, causing the pair's long-standing professional feud to escalate.
Although the pair were Premier League colleagues for over 12 years, their disdain for one another is well documented.
Clattenburg previously remarked that Atkinson felt "threatened" by him during their time as elite referees, laying the foundations for the subsequent fracas.
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The incident is alleged to have happened at the referee's gym, with Clattenburg leaving one on his rival during a competitive five-a-side match.
This provoked a heated response from Atkinson, who - it is alleged - went to throw a punch in retaliation.
"There was a big political war between myself and Atkinson. We never got on," Clattenburg told The Athletic.
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"We were playing five-a-side in the gym. I caught him with a tackle. He threw a punch, and I threw a punch back.
According to Clattenburg, it essentially ended any chance of the officials having a personal relationship.
"From that moment, there was always a certain level of respect between us, but friendship was out. Rather than move on, he was bitter and that feeling intensified the more I became a threat to his career.
"You would be on a European trip and one of Atkinson's minions would be with you as the fourth official, and you knew he was reporting back to his master."
Atkinson is yet to address the comments as he is still officiating Premier League matches. By contrast, this isn't the first time Clattenburg has discussed the animosity that both men have for one another.
"Me and him fell out so I've not got anything positive to say about him", Clattenburg stated in 2019."I never really got on with him when I was in the Premier League and we never really saw eye-to-eye.
"When I was fighting him for the Euros and the Champions League in 2016, he didn't like it when I got both finals. Sorry, Martin."Just one year after officiating both aforementioned finals, Clattenburg would step down from his refereeing duties in the Premier League, choosing instead to move to the Chinese Super League.
The PGMOL told The Athletic that none of their officials wish to respond to any of Clattenburg's claims.Featured Image Credit:Topics: Mark Clattenburg, Premier League