Diouf spitting shame as Liverpool face busy week

Liverpool yesterday tried to salvage their good name in the wake of El Hadji Diouf’s spitting shame

The Senegal striker may also face police charges after an incident at the end of Liverpool's UEFA Cup quarter-final first leg against Celtic in Glasgow.

Police have sent a report to the Procurator Fiscal, the Scottish equivalent of the Crown Prosecution Service, which will decide whether the 22-year-old will face charges.

Liverpool plan, after discussions with Celtic, to donate Diouf's fine to charity, but that is likely to be only the start of the disciplinary action against the player.

European football's governing body UEFA have announced they will be reviewing the match video, and if there is a case to answer a disciplinary committee will be held before next Thursday's second leg at Anfield.

Liverpool boss Gerard Houllier immediately condemned the actions of the £10 million player after the uproar at Parkhead, but added: "The boy has made a mistake. He knows that. We all make mistakes in life because we are human.

"I am not going to make excuses for him but the boy is young and is devastated by what has happened. It's sad it has overshadowed a great night's football."

Liverpool achieved a hugely professional 1-1 draw in Glasgow, but Diouf's behaviour ruined an impressive night for the Anfield side.

The two clubs have a long, close relationship and the last thing Liverpool want is to damage that friendship.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said: "We consider it very important that the good relationship between Liverpool and Celtic should not be soured by what happened last night.

"We have fined the player the maximum of two weeks' wages and we will be liaising with Celtic to discuss the appropriate way of spending this money."

Diouf will have to sweat it out until next week to find out whether he will face prosecution over the incident.

Liverpool return to Premiership action on Sunday at Tottenham tomorrow, and must produce the same form again if they want to keep their Champions League dreams on track.

This might be tough to achieve however on the ground where their title hopes were finally destroyed at the end of last season.

But Houllier and skipper Sami Hyypia believe that Liverpool are now producing performances of sufficient of desire and quality determination to handle the next tough few days, including the second leg against Celtic coming at Anfield next Thursday.

Hyypia, however, did not fall into the Blackburn trap of over-confidence.

Rovers, who lost 1-0 at Parkhead, had been confident of turning the tie around, but were brushed aside in the return leg at Ewood Park.

Hyypia had been asked before Thursday's tie whether he would settle for a 1-0 defeat in the first leg, and his response was emphatic not a chance.

Then, after a disciplined defensive showing in the first leg in Glasgow, Hyypia said: "It was a strong, organised performance but we knew in the dressing room we haven't won anything yet.

"But I felt that we were the better team and that if we had scored again we would have been in real command and the tie would have been over."

Robbie Keane, already out for two games with a knee injury, has trained this week but is not match-fit for Blackburn. He is now hoping to return against Bolton on March 24.