Chelsea lodge Clattenburg complaint
updated 7:04 PM EDT, Wed October 31, 2012
Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg denies all allegations of using "inappropriate language" towards John Obi Mikel.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Chelsea lodge official complaint with Football Association
- Mark Clattenburg accused of using "inappropriate language" towards John Obi Mikel
- Club will not pursue allegations of abuse towards Juan Mata by the referee
- Mark Clattenburg denies all allegations leveled at him
(CNN) -- Chelsea has lodged a formal complaint with the Football Association after alleging referee Mark Clattenburg used "inappropriate language" towards John Obi Mikel during their Premier League defeat by Manchester United.
The European champions also stated that there is insufficient evidence to support allegations that Clattenburg abused Spain star Juan Mata.
The FA has already announced that it has launched an investigation into the incident, while the Metropolitan Police revealed on Tuesday that it will also conduct a probe.
English FA to probe claims of racist abuse by referee in Chelsea match
The referee has refuted all allegations made against him, but that has not stopped Chelsea from taking its case further.
Mourinho on the enigma of Balotelli

It is now nearly a year since Chelsea lost to QPR 1-0 in an English Premier League game at Loftus Road. During the game it was alleged QPR defender Anton Ferdinand swore at John Terry and made reference to the Chelsea captain's reported affair with the ex-partner of former team-mate Wayne Bridge. Terry is then said to have described Ferdinand as a "f***ing black c***".
In July, Terry was cleared in a London court, where the criminal burden of proof is "beyond all reasonable doubt". But the English Football Association then investigated the case, and using the test of "on the balance of probabilities", came to the conclusion that Terry's defence against claims he racially abused Ferdinand was "improbable, implausible, contrived".
Back in September, Ferdinand had declined Terry's offer of a handshake when QPR met Chelsea at Loftus Road as the feud between the two players rumbled on.
After the FA delivered the independent commission's report on the Terry case, the Chelsea captain's teammate Ashley Cole tweeted: "Hahahahaa, well done #fa I lied did I, #BUNCHOFT***S". The Chelsea and England left-back quickly issued a "unreserved apology" for his tweet through his solicitor.
In 2011 the FA had to deal with another racism case, this time handing Liverpool striker Luis Suarez an eight-match ban and a $63,000 fine after finding the Uruguayan guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.
Suarez and Evra failed to shake hands before the start of an English Premier League game at Old Trafford last season after the Uruguayan had served his ban. However, when United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield in September, the pair did shake hands.
Questions have been raised about UEFA's sanctioning policy. Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner was fined $126,000 and banned from playing in his side's next competitive game for flashing his sponsored waistband promoting a bookmaker as he celebrated a goal against Portugal in Euro 2012. But that fine eclipsed the $52,000 fine that UEFA handed to the Bulgarian Football Union for its fans' racist abuse of England players during a Euro 2012 qualifier in Sofia in September 2011.
In November 2011, FIFA president Sepp Blatter told CNN that football did not have a problem with racism on the field and any incidents should be settled by a handshake.
The FA's Independent Regulatory Commission heard 473 cases between December 2010 and December 2011, but only two of them ended in "not guilty" verdicts.
Stoke City boss Tony Pulis wants the Football Association to punish Liverpool's Luis Suarez for diving. "It's an embarrassment," said the Stoke manager after a 0-0 draw at Anfield. "The FA should be looking at this."
Where it all began
Beyond reasonable doubt
Handshake snub
'Twatgate'
Suarez punished
The end of the affair
Fine line
Blattergate
Guilty as charged
Call to action
HIDE CAPTION
Crime and Punishment in sport

England midfielder Danny Rose claims he was subjected to monkey chants before, during and after the second-leg of their Under-21 Euro 2013 playoff match against Serbia on Tuesday, and had stones thrown at him by the crowd in Krusevac. Fans also ran on to the pitch and scuffles broke out after a 1-0 win secured England qualification for Euro 2013.
The Macedonia FA were fined $26,000 after fans racially abused England trio Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell and Emile Heskey during a qualifying game for Euro 2004.
In September 2011, Bulgaria were fined $55,000 after a small number of fans directed monkey chants at England's Ashley Young, Cole and Theo Walcott during a Euro 2012 qualifier in Sofia.
Russia was hit with a $38,000 punishment after supporters made monkey noises towards Czech Republic defender Theodor Gebre Selassie during Euro 2012
The Croatian FA were ordered to pay a $16,000 fine after their fans were found guilty of "displaying a racist banner and showing racist conduct during the Euro 2008 quarter-final tie against Turkey.
Russia were again in the news for the wrong reasons at Euro 2012 and were fined $39,00 for "the setting off and throwing of fireworks by Russia spectators, displaying of illicit banners and the invasion of the pitch by a supporter," during the Euro 2012 tie against Poland. Russia was also fined $155,000 after clashes between supporters and police during and after their game against the Czech Republic.
Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner was given a one-match ban and a $126,000 fine after he lifted his shirt to reveal a betting company's logo on his underwear while celebrating a goal against Portugal in a Euro 2012 group game.
Porto were hit by a $27,000 fine after their fans were found guilty of subjecting Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli to monkey chants during a Europa League game in February 2012. It took UEFA six weeks to finally hand out a punishment. But questions were raised after UEFA also fined City $40,000 after the club were found guilty of coming back out on to the field of play late after the halftime interval.
Serbia scuffles
Macedonia punished
Trouble in Bulgaria
Russian FA hit with fine
Croatia in the dock
Crackdown on Russia
Bendtner loses gamble
Porto punished
HIDE CAPTION
Soccer racism in Eastern Europe
A statement on the official club website read: "Chelsea Football Club today lodged a formal complaint with The Football Association regarding inappropriate language directed at John Mikel Obi by referee Mark Clattenburg. This is a result of a thorough investigation carried out by the club, and led by outside legal counsel, of all information available to us including interviews with a number of players and staff.
"Following Sunday's Premier League game against Manchester United, club board members were quickly made aware, upon entering the home dressing room after the final whistle, that there were allegations of inappropriate language directed at Chelsea FC players by Mr Clattenburg during the game.
"Board members began establishing the details of the allegations, speaking to all relevant players and staff. After those initial interviews it was clear that the matter had to be reported. The correct protocol for doing so was to report the incidents to the match delegate, and the club took immediate steps to inform him as soon as he was available. It was not a decision the club took lightly.
Police to investigate 'racist' referee in Chelsea case
"Since reporting the matter to the delegate, the club and outside legal counsel have conducted further investigations. Having completed that process we have now followed the correct protocol and lodged a formal complaint with The FA regarding John Mikel Obi. There was not sufficient evidence to support a second claim to The FA with regard to the alleged verbal abuse of another first team player.
"We will cooperate fully with The FA and the Police as they each investigate the matter. As events on Sunday are now subject to those investigations we are unable to comment further until those processes are complete."
Meanwhile, Mikel played 45 minutes as Chelsea defeated Manchester United 5-4 in a thrilling Capital One Cup encounter.
Ryan Giggs gave United a 22nd minute lead before David Luiz equalized from the penalty spot to bring Chelsea level.
Javier Hernandez put the visitors back in front, his sixth goal in nine games against Chelsea, before Gary Cahill headed home a second equalizer.
United grabbed the advantage for the third time just before the hour mark when Nani rounded off a flowing move only for Eden Hazard's 90th minute penalty to send the game into extra-time.
Daniel Sturridge then gave Chelsea the lead for the first time in the contest on 97 minutes and Ramires made sure of the victory added a fifth late on.
Giggs netted a penalty to make it a nervy last couple of minutes but Chelsea held out to book a quarterfinal place against Leeds United.
Elsewhere, Tottenham suffered a 2-1 loss at Norwich after Clint Dempsey failed to score a last minute penalty.
Cup holder Liverpool was also beaten, going down 3-1 to Swansea.
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