Uefa have charged the English Football Association with improper behaviour following crowd problems at the Euro 2008 qualifier against Croatia in Zagreb earlier this month.

Uefa issued the same charge against the Croatian Football Federation and the matter will be dealt with at the next meeting of the bodies' control and disciplinary committee on November 9th.

The FA are expected to vigorously contest the charge, but if found guilty could face anything from a fine to being forced to play matches behind closed doors.

The FA are unhappy at the treatment of England fans by Croatian police and how the entry of fans with official tickets into the Maksimir Stadium was managed.

They accused the Croatian authorities of baton-charging England fans indiscriminately and criticised stewarding around the ground.

They made their concerns known to a Uefa delegate before and after the match, but Uefa are pressing ahead with the charge against both associations.

England fans without tickets were able to break through the security cordon around the ground, sparking concern among security guards.

Stadium officials then decided to shut the turnstiles for two five-minute periods, causing panic to spread among those fans who had travelled with tickets.

Supporters squeezed towards the gates, and police reacted by brandishing their batons. Some England supporters suffered head injuries.

UEFA also confirmed they are investigating allegations of racist abuse made by England under-21 players following their play-off victory over their German counterparts earlier this month.

Micah Richards and Anton Ferdinand both alleged they were called "monkeys" by opposition players at the BayArena during the second leg of their qualification play-off.