Soccer: Racism issue The English Football Association is pursuing every possible avenue to ensure the racist behaviour of the Bernabeu Stadium crowd at Wednesday's friendly with Spain is punished. It has written to FIFA, the Spanish Football Federation and even kept UEFA informed, although the European body had no jurisdiction over the fixture.

The FA also blames the Spain coach Luis Aragones for his part in the affair. "The comments attributed to the Spanish coach last month and ahead of the game did not help the situation," said Adrian Bevington, the FA head of media.

On Tuesday, Aragones refuelled the conflict with references to England's colonial history. Rio Ferdinand, one of the players targeted in the Bernabeu, said: "Anyone who heard the comments from the Spain coach would say it was out of line. For him to get no punishment sends out the wrong signal to the kids."

England's squad wore tops with an anti-racism message at training on Tuesday, but the FA does not accept the measure can be seen as a provocative reprimand to Aragones. "We make no apologies for promoting the anti-racist campaign and wearing the Kick It Out shirts," said Bevington.

Aragones refused to comment after the game, beyond saying "my conscience is clear", but the England players were united in their revulsion. Ferdinand said the players had tried to hide their feelings during the match.

"After the game all of us were sitting there thinking: 'We can't believe what we heard out there.' But if you let people know how you feel about it, you let them get the better of you."

The FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, expressed his horror at recent racist behaviour on the European scene, with particular reference to Wednesday's match in Madrid and the under-21 fixture the previous night.

The British Prime Minister's office described Tony Blair as "very disappointed" by events in Madrid. "He believes racism has no part to play in sport - or anywhere else for that matter," a spokesman said.

The office of the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, described the abuse as intolerable.

"The racist and xenophobic commentaries of this group, which is not representative of Spanish supporters, are intolerable," a spokesman for Zapatero said. "They are unacceptable in sport or any other circumstance."

FIFA last month drew up a code of ethics, but it remains to be seen whether serious action against Spain will be taken. A financial sanction would make little impression, but ordering a game to be played behind closed doors might be thought a step too far at this stage.

The FA is conscious of English football's own failings, and UEFA imposed a fine for the crowd's behaviour towards Turkey in Sunderland in the Euro 2004 qualifier. Nonetheless, they take satisfaction from being among the first to commit themselves to anti-racist campaigns in the early 90s.

UEFA is thought to be proposing a meeting between the FA and the Spanish federation. The FA would be willing to attend, even though it believes it is Spain who must address the "vociferous and disgraceful" booing directed, in particular, at Ashley Cole, Shaun Wright-Phillips and Jermain Defoe.

"We are still shocked," said Bevington. "It's so rare that you encounter that. Some of our players are so young that they probably never saw some of the things that used to go on in England. When you are faced with what we were faced with over two days, you are morally obliged to stand up and confront it."

The FA also wants the Spanish federation to issue a forthright condemnation.

Relationships between the bodies will not be put to the test in the near future. England's schedule of friendlies for the next two years is all but settled and Sven-Goran Eriksson's players will be relieved to know there are no plans to play Spain.

"You don't expect that type of behaviour in a country like Spain," Gary Neville, the England right back, said. "I thought they were actually an ally of ours. All I can say is that on these major issues - hooliganism, racism - if it had been England supporters, we would probably have been chucked out of every competition going. They were talking about kicking us out of the World Cup after the Turkey game, but that was nothing like this. Unfortunately, the English seem to be treated differently when it comes to certain issues."

Jermaine Jenas described the Bernabeu atmosphere as "disgraceful", while Michael Owen said: "I've heard it before in foreign countries but in England we've done particularly well to stamp it out. I've played in the Premier League for many years and I don't think I've heard anything quite like that. That's not to say it doesn't exist, but I've not been aware of anything that bad.

"I wasn't expecting anything of that nature, but the night didn't start well when both anthems were booed and it deteriorated from there. It has to be addressed, because you shouldn't be involved in a match anywhere having to ask your team-mates whether they are okay because of the abuse that is coming their way."

Wayne Rooney has apologised to Eriksson and his team-mates and told them that frustration with the match and with his substitution, when he was on the verge of a red card, led to his misconduct in Madrid.

The forward tore off a black armband being worn out of respect for the late Emlyn Hughes and Keith Weller. Eriksson discussed the issue with the player on the flight home from Spain. "I'm sure he has got a lot of respect for Emlyn Hughes. He must have been frustrated, and that's understandable," Owen said.