Looking back at the aftermath of that Champions League quarter-final first leg in 2014, that ended in a heavy defeat for Dortmund, the 50-year-old says: "I remember Marcelo, the full-back from Real Madrid, asked for a picture. I've had players giving me shirts when I didn't even ask, I've had players talking to me after games, but he just wanted a picture. This was a part of me being accepted by them (elite professional footballers). They felt comfortable with me. If they see my name, Mark Clattenburg, refereeing a Champions League game, I would hope the players think: 'Thank God for that, I like that. We know he's not going to cause any problems'. I like that. So players felt comfortable with me."
On being gifted Casemiro's shirt, Clattenburg adds: "I remember Casemiro, at Real Madrid, I refereed him in the U-20 World Cup in Colombia playing for Brazil. Didn't speak any English. And he signed for Real Madrid and I remember seeing his name on the team sheet and thinking: 'I know that name'. When I looked at him I said: 'I remember refereeing you in the semi-final in the U-20s'. Didn't speak any English and he just looked at me, came to shake my hand when he came off the bench and I'm thinking: 'This is bizarre'. After the game he's waiting for me outside my door and he's got his shirt and he's saying: 'Thank you, thank you', in broken English, and I'm thinking: 'That was nice, respect'."
