Police in London are assessing a complaint from a member of the public, accusing Chelsea and England football captain John Terry of racially abusing QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.
Terry has strongly denied hurling a racist slur at Ferdinand during Monday's stormy West London derby at Loftus Road.
The claims against Terry emerged after video footage circulated on the internet, appearing to show the England star using racist language.
Terry denied abusing Ferdinand, saying the footage had been misconstrued.
Ferdinand, the brother of Terry's England teammate Rio, has so far maintained a silence over the incident.
Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is standing firmly behind Terry.