Chelsea and Barca to escape punishment

CHELSEA and Barcelona are set to escape UEFA punishment for the post-match fracas and accusation of racism which followed their contentious Champions League clash.

Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o told Spanish TV he was called "a monkey" by a Stamford Bridge steward in the aftermath of the 4-2 victory by the Londoners but the club have strongly denied his claim.

Chelsea last night cleared the steward at the centre of the allegations after carrying out an internal investigation. A club spokesman said: "We have now interviewed the steward who it is alleged made a racist remark after last night's match.

"We have also taken statements from several others who were close to the incident. The steward concerned is extremely upset that this accusation has been levelled against him. The club are totally satisfied that he did not make a racist remark and we completely refute the allegation being made against him."

Referee Pierluigi Collina did not include the incident in his match report.

Meanwhile, Barca coach Frank Rijkaard was embroiled in a touchline confrontation with Chelsea scout Andre Villas while other players, including Ronaldinho and Eto'o, were involved in scuffles in the tunnel area. However, UEFA communications director William Gaillard has played down the likelihood of action even though they will study reports from Collina and their own match delegate.

Gaillard, who was at the match at Stamford Bridge, said: "Unless we have some firm evidence about the alleged racist remark there is little we can do, otherwise it is just one man's word against another."

It has been pointed out that Eto'o claims he was called a 'monkey of s***' not an expression used in Britain and that he may have simply mistranslated the insult.

Meanwhile, Gaillard has also played down the tunnel incident. He added: "We had our own people in the tunnel area and they tell me there was a very minor scuffle, the sort of thing that happens at football grounds every Saturday afternoon.

"I think the stewards were very keen to get the Barcelona players down the tunnel as they were lingering on the pitch and there were fans close to them, it was very crowded and there was a minor scuffle."

A bottle was also reportedly thrown in the direction of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich as he walked in front of the visiting fans to celebrate in the Blues' dressing-room.

UEFA are already set to examine claims Rijkaard met referee Anders Frisk in his dressing-room in the first leg with their disciplinary committee set to meet on March 24, when they will also consider two charges against Chelsea Mourinho's failure to attend the post-match press conference in the Nou Camp and the Blues going out late for the second half.