FA call police in tunnel row

14 April 2012

The Football Association are to consult police about the tunnel bust-up at Old Trafford before deciding whether to charge Arsenal and any of their players, it emerged today.

Although Greater Manchester Police said today they had no officers who witnessed the nasty confrontation that followed Manchester United's 2-0 victory on Sunday, the FA would still like to speak to them before deciding their next step.

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was pelted with soup and pizza and one Arsenal backroom official was left with a bloodied nose after tempers flared in a row which is now being called 'the battle of the buffet'.

An FA spokesman said today: "We are still trying to find out what happened.

"We will be speaking to Greater Manchester police to see if they have any witnesses.

"We will be looking to gather information from different sources."

Greater Manchester Police said today they have not yet been approached by the FA.

During the melee, an unidentified Arsenal player was said to have thrown a cup of hot soup and pizza at Ferguson when he entered the tunnel.

Fired-up Ferguson had pumping his fists at fans following his team's victory, which ended Arsenal's record 49-match unbeaten run.

The incident was sparked by a row between United's Ruud van Nistelrooy and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger over the Dutch striker's foul on Ashley Cole. Wenger is understood to have called the United player a cheat after he made a remark to him about United's win.

The incidents were not seen by referee Mike Riley and his assistants and they will not be mentioned in the official's report to the FA.

But the repercussions from a fractious game have already begun. Van Nistelrooy was today considering his response to the FA's decision to charge him with serious foul play after they studied video evidence of his second-half tackle on Cole.

Van Nistelrooy insisted there was no malice in his challenge. He said: "We both just went for the ball. It was a 50-50 ball and in these situations two players can collide."

Arsene Wenger has also been asked to explain his post-match comments about Van Nistelrooy and referee Mike Riley.

Meanwhile Arsenal's Jose Antonio Reyes called Wayne Rooney an actor for the foul that led to the game-turning penalty. He said: "The referee made so many mistakes and didn't perform well. The penalty should not have been given, but now we all know what a good actor Wayne Rooney is in the penalty area.

"In all my sporting life I have never received so many kicks as in Manchester. It was the hardest match I have played in England and the referee should have stopped the violence of the Manchester United players.

"I received more blows in that match than I have ever done in the Spanish League and I finished on the ground covered in bruises."

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