Tugay said in a statement released to the Press Association: “Death has no place in football. Throughout my career I have never threatened another player, football is a game not a war.

“After his booking I told Beckham to calm down for which he later thanked me. At no time did I mention he was going to die.”

Tugay was responding to a report claiming Tugay had said to an England player during Wednesday’s match that “when Beckham and Ferdinand come to Istanbul they are going to die. You cannot imagine how horrible the things will be that will happen to you.”

Blackburn manager Graeme Souness has backed up his player.

Souness said: “I have spoken to the player and he said he did not say anything like that at all to David Beckham or any other player. I believe him and I would ask the public to believe him as well.

“There were things said and some non-playing officials from Turkey saying things in that fashion but Tugay denies he said anything like that.”

Souness does not believe Tugay will become a marked man as a result, saying: “I think the British public are aware that on occasion you cannot believe everything you read.”

The Blackburn boss, formerly manager of Turkey’s leading club Galatasaray, was at the game at the Stadium of Light as one of the Sky’s panel of experts and believes England will find the return match in Istanbul very intimidating.

“It’s going to be a very difficult night for England when they go over there,” Souness said.

“You could see the bad feeling from the opening five minutes of Wednesday’s game at Sunderland and that continued throughout the night.

“They’ll remember that because they don’t like losing. Turkish people are very proud people and they’ll want to enjoy the rematch.

“Manchester United and Chelsea have both been over there and played Galatasaray in the past but if people thought that was hostile then double that for this game.

“The aggression that every English person who goes there will feel will be very, very intense.”