Boateng fights back in Barmby controversy

The Leeds midfielder Nick Barmby has been accused of dramatising his feud with George Boateng by the Middlesbrough midfielder's agent, Barry Silkman. The Football Association has announced it is to conduct a formal investigation into the fracas which erupted at the end of Saturday's 2-2 draw between the teams.

The FA is also to study a video of the challenge by the Arsenal striker Dennis Bergkamp on Blackburn's Nils-Eric Johansson at the weekend.

At the Riverside, Boateng was seen to spit at the feet of Jonathan Woodgate and Barmby as the players left the pitch, with the Dutchman claiming he had reacted to a racial slur from Barmby. His actions sparked a 12-man scuffle as players from both sides pushed and jostled one another, with the Leeds players Lucas Radebe and Eirik Bakke needing to be restrained.

The feud continued in the tunnel where Barmby alleges he was scratched across his face by Boateng. The England international, sporting two gashes on his right cheek, vehemently denied Boateng's allegation of racism at a press conference on Monday, stating he had been "devastated" by that accusation.

Unsurprisingly, the FA is to launch an inquiry, taking into account the match officials' reports, along with video evidence. Although the match referee, Rob Styles, has apparently not included anything which followed after his final whistle in his report, the match assessor did witness events, which included Boateng manhandling the assistant referee, Chris Bassindale, in his attempt to confront Barmby.

Silkman defended his player yesterday, and accused Barmby of exacerbating the situation with his hastily arranged press conference on Monday.

"George has been quoted out of context," said Silkman, with regard to the racist accusation against Barmby. "No one has actually heard him [George] say that. It was just a quote that has come from somewhere. It has been blown up out of all proportion, mainly by Nicky Barmby having this press conference which has now taken it to another level."

When asked how Barmby came by the scratches, Silkman said: "There was a lot of pushing and shoving at the end of the game and in the tunnel, but George is not that type of person. He is a very religious guy, a family man with his wife about to have a baby. He is not the type of person who goes out and fights, who swears and spits at people. He's not a person who will go round scratching someone.

"Something went on on the pitch, but I don't think it's as major as everyone is making out. It's nothing that can't be sorted out with a little common sense."

Silkman even said Boateng will be cleared by the FA, despite video evidence of him spitting and the fact he could be charged with "technical assault" on Bassindale. "I don't think he [Boateng] will be in trouble," Silkman said. "I'm confident he will walk away from this with his head held high."

Following the weekend's other controversial incident, the FA has decided to investigate Bergkamp's challenge on Johansson.

The Dutchman tangled with Johansson in the second half of Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Highbury when he lost possession and appeared to stamp on his opponent's hip as the Blackburn player tumbled in front of him.

The report of the referee Graham Barber on the match has still to be received, but the FA has already decided that the incident requires attention. Bergkamp was not punished during the game by the Hertfordshire official, whose report was expected to arrive at Soho Square yesterday.

However, the Arsenal manager, Arsène Wenger, insists Bergkamp would never set out to hurt an opponent and claimed a "nervous reaction" could have been responsible. Wenger believes television scrutiny has magnified the incident and pointed to Blackburn's silence on the matter as proof that it was "an isolated incident".