LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 11: Referee Mark Clattenburg speaks to Theo Walcott of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Hull City at Emirates Stadium on February 11, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

The Premier League is where most soccer players and refs dream of working when they are making their way up the ranks, but one of the top refs in the EPL is walking away form the pitch to take a new job in… Saudi Arabia?

Mark Clattenburg, one of the top refs in the Premier League, has worked during the European Championship, Champions League and the FA Cup during his run in Europe. And now, at age 41, he’s going to work in a league most people don’t know exists.

“The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) would like to wish Mark Clattenburg well as he prepares for his move to the Saudi Arabian Football Federation,” the statement read.

Why he is leaving and what job he is filling are unconfirmed at this point, but it might be safe to assume he is not walking away from the EPL to take a job that is going to pay him poorly. Perhaps this is Saudi Arabia looking to improve its game in every facet moving forward. Maybe this is a short-term plan for Clattenburg before one day returning to Europe. It really is a bit of a mystery at this stage.

This would be similar to seeing Major League Baseball umpire Joe West walking away from MLB umpiring in July to go umpire in China, or NFL referee Ed Hochuli stepping away from the NFL in November to ref some games in Peru for some reason. Clattenburg has left the door open in the past for a possible move, so his departure from England and Europe is not totally unexpected. It is just odd to see a high-profile soccer ref leave the EPL for Saudi Arabia.

[ESPN]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.