England fans INVESTIGATED by FIFA after chants during Croatia World Cup defeat
FIFA has confirmed it has begun disciplinary proceedings against the Football Association after reports of "possible discriminatory" chants by fans during last night's 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia in Moscow.
World Cup: England fans react to semi-final loss against Croatia
The sport's world governing body received a report via its anti-discimination monitoring system and an investigation has been launched.
No specifics have been provided so far, but chants of "No Surrender" were audible in the end of Luzhniki Stadium where the English fans were located during last night's epic encounter.
Fifa said in a statement: “We can confirm that a report has been filed through the anti-discrimination monitoring system in relation to chants of a possible discriminatory nature by English fans at yesterday’s match.
“Subsequently, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the Football Association.”
No Surrender is an anti-IRA song which is frequently sung by England fans at matches.
It was not immediately clear whether singing it would constitute a breach of anti-discrimination rules.
The news comes days after the FA was slapped with a £53,000 fine after the England players' SOCKS worn during the 2-0 quarter-final win over Sweden fell foul of FIFA rules
An official statement read: “Several members of the English national team continued to display unauthorised commercial branding on playing equipment items before and during the World Cup quarter-final match between Sweden and England.”
Uruguay were also fined for the same reason.
England fans in TEARS after World Cup loss
In 1995, 20 people were injured when violence flared at a friendly international between Ireland and England at Lansdowne Road in Dublin, at which No Surrender was sung by a group of England fans believed to have been associated with the far-right organisation Combat 18.
Things boiled over after an English goal was disallowed in the 26th minute, and the game was abandoned as police battled to get the situation under control.
A subsequent investigation suggested that insufficient segretation was partly to blame.