FIFA president Sepp Blatter today gave both barrels to the Football Association and Manchester United over the Rio Ferdinand saga and confirmed that the outcome of the controversy will be closely studied by the world governing body's anti-doping chiefs.
Blatter is taking a personal interest in the case of Ferdinand, who should find out on December 19th his punishment for missing a drugs test, and the FIFA president has accused United chief executive David Gill of "reacting aggressively" to his view that the player should have been suspended pending the disciplinary hearing.
He also criticised the FA for the delay in dealing with both the Ferdinand case and that of Chelsea's Joe Cole, who yesterday received a two-match ban seven months after committing the offence.
Gill had said earlier this week he found it "incomprehensible" that Blatter should have become so involved, but asked about Gill's criticism at a FIFA press conference in Frankfurt today Blatter said: "Perhaps he does not have a very clean conscience and that's why he reacted so aggressively.
"It is fair play for me to accept criticism but I know how I would react if I was a chief executive officer of a club and saw a FIFA president trying to bring respect and discipline to the game.
"I have spoken to [FA chairman] Geoff Thompson and said such cases must be dealt with immediately. I have also heard the case of the player [Joe] Cole who committed some infraction in May and has only been sanctioned now.
"These cases must be dealt with immediately not pushed back to tomorrow, the day after or whenever. They should be dealt with inside one week."
Blatter stopped short of saying FIFA would attempt to lengthen any ban on Ferdinand if they were not satisfied with the severity of the penalty but confirmed they will pay close attention to the outcome of the case.
He said: "I cannot presume what the FA will do but the case will have to be submitted for appreciation by FIFA's special committee for doping issues, then we will see.
"Football should remember respect and discipline is necessary at all levels from clubs up to confederations. The executive committee have given me a mandate jointly with our disciplinary committee today to be stricter than before, and to act.
"Otherwise we run the risk of seeing football lose its way or at least go in a different direction that is not in keeping with our objectives - as a game and as a value in life."
Blatter highlighted the case of Inter Milan's Sierra Leone striker Mohamed Kallon who tested positive for nandrolone last month and was immediately suspended by the Italian FA pending the result of the B sample.