UEFA, European soccer's ruling body, said it opened disciplinary proceedingsagainst Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson for remarkssuggesting the Champions League quarter-final draw had beenrigged.
UEFA said in a statement today that remarks attributedto Ferguson by the British media "cast doubt upon the integrityof the draw for the quarter-finals".
Ferguson was quoted as saying in Sunday newspaper reports inBritain: "It was a nice draw for the Spanish and Italians - Ithink they picked it themselves."
"The three Italian teams have avoided each other and so havethe three Spanish. How do you think that worked out?" he said.
"I can tell you - UEFA don't want us in the final, that'sfor sure. I don't know why they have given the final to OldTrafford because they don't want us to get there."
He apologised for the comments at a news conference onMonday ahead of Tuesday's match European champions RealMadrid.