Uefa to investigate police action

Uefa will wait to receive their match delegate's report before deciding whether to intervene following the crowd disturbances in Osasuna's home match against Rangers last night.

Rangers have complained about the lack of segregation and heavy-handed policing at the Uefa Cup clash.

Rangers chief executive Martin Bain claimed that despite repeated requests from Uefa, Rangers and the British ambassador to Spain, arrangements in the stadium in Pamplona were not right.

Riot police entered the area where the Rangers fans were seated, separating them from the Osasuna supporters sitting nearby.

The police had stood in a line in front of the visiting fans for around 10 minutes before an incident then saw them wade in among the Rangers support, scattering the fans.

Around 1,800 Rangers supporters had official tickets for the match at Osasuna's 20,000-capacity Reyno de Navarra stadium.

However many more than that were thought to have attended the match.

A Uefa spokesman this morning insisted the organisation would need to hear from Rangers and from officials at the match before deciding whether any action was necessary. They were expecting to receive the delegate's report this afternoon.

Bain, who saw Rangers exit the competition 2-1 on aggregate after a 1-0 defeat in Spain, last night claimed to have the support of the Uefa match delegate.

He also accepted that hooligan groups may have infiltrated the Rangers fans.

"There is no doubt about it that there is a small element that attached itself to our support ... but the vast majority of Rangers fans were intimidated by heavy-handed police," Bain said. "When we go back to Glasgow we will assess the situation but we will be in touch with Uefa to express our unhappiness.

"We have spoken with the Uefa delegate at the game and he agrees with us that things were not right in the ground and the British ambassador has also made representations to Uefa as well."

Rangers striker Nacho Novo has urged Uefa to investigate the behaviour of the police.

"The police in Spain do have a reputation for being too aggressive with foreign supporters and that seems to have happened again tonight.

"I feel so sorry for our fans that they have been involved in something like this."

"Uefa need to do something about this and I hope they will. But the most important thing is that our fans are safe." added Novo.