Fan drops action against Berkovic

The female Manchester City supporter at the centre of the Eyal Berkovic ‘cut-throat’ gesture has decided not to take the matter further.

The Israeli international learned today that the Football Association would be investigating the incident, which came during City’s 3-2 Worthington Cup triumph against Crewe at Maine Road on Tuesday.

However, City have concluded their own internal inquiries and have stated ‘there had been a misunderstanding of the situation’, which the fan has accepted.

It is thought the supporter will either be invited to the club’s Carrington training ground, or to a first team fixture, where she is likely to meet Berkovic, who believed he had been the victim of anti-Semitic abuse.

“Following the game on Wednesday evening against Crewe Alexandra we were informed about an incident involving one of our players and a supporter,” said City operations director Chris Bird in an official statement.

“After a thorough investigation involving all parties in and around the area in question it is clear that there has been a misunderstanding of the actual situation.

“Having spoken this morning to the supporter involved, they are satisfied with the investigation and our actions and does not wish to take the matter further.”

Bird refused to speculate on whether Berkovic would be disciplined internally by the club, although that rests largely in the hands of manager Kevin Keegan.

Berkovic will travel south with the rest of the City squad for tomorrow’s Premiership clash with Southampton at St Mary’s Stadium, with Keegan admitting he was glad the FA have decided to get involved.

“It is right that the FA investigates it,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that it happened because you never like to see those things but that’s footballers.

“Let’s hope that everything can be sorted so no-one is offended.”

If Keegan does decide some kind of punishment is due, Berkovic will become the third member of the City squad to be disciplined by the former England boss within the past three weeks.

Irish international Richard Dunne is only just returning to action after being ordered to embark on his own training programme after turning up for training in a ‘dishevelled state’, while a two-footed lunge by Australian hard-man Danny Tiatto on Blackburn’s David Thompson was branded ‘disgusting’ by his boss.

Like Dunne, Tiatto was fined two weeks’ wages for his actions, as well as picking up a three-match ban for his dismissal, which rules him out of tomorrow’s clash against Gordon Strachan’s Saints.