I suggested but no one was listening that someone needs to push the clutch in while someone else is watching what is happening through the inspection hole. If the clutch disc is engaged (compressed) with the pedal out and then disengaged when the pedal is depressed, then there is a transmission and not a clutch issue. (a small gap between the flywheel and the disc and/or the pressure plate surface) That's how you diagnose things like this. A process of elimination.
