FA now investigating Fernando Forestieri racism row which sparked brawl at Mansfield Town v Sheffield Wednesday friendly

The 29-year-old has already served a three game ban due to the brawl, but his punishment may not yet be over as the FA are now speaking to Nottinghamshire Police in an effort to start building a case against him.

An FA spokesman said today: “I can confirm that our investigation is back underway on this.”

Forestieri’s alleged racist comments to Mansfield Town skipper Krystian Pearce sparked a confrontation in which home manager David Flitcroft had to run on to the pitch to haul Pearce away from trouble.

Last week the judge said he could not be satisfied to a criminal standard that Forestieri had said the offending word, although he said he believed Mr Pearce was ‘unlikely’ to have been mistaken about hearing it. He had to be found guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

However, the Football Association’s disciplinary system determines cases on the balance of probabilities and, as such, has a much wider scope to rule in favour of the player making the allegations.

Former England star John Terry was cleared of the same offence at Westminster magistrates, but charged by the FA within two weeks, then banned for four matches and fined £220,000.

The minimum punishment now is five games.