The Arsenal full-back insisted he had been heavily provoked and told the News of the World: "The real story is that I was spat on by a Turkish player. This guy came up to me and spat straight in my face.

"I was angry and who could blame me for being so? It was a disgusting thing for this guy to do. The lowest of the low.

"People said that some were saying racial things but, for me, it was not racial. It was all started because a player spat in my face.

"I couldn't really say that any punches were thrown or landed, but people were piling in, some trying to get to each other and others trying to break it up."

Cole claims he was first provoked by stewards in the tunnel.

"As we started to walk down the tunnel the stewards were pinching me and pulling me and I was initially trying to tell them to get off.

"Eventually one of them pinched me really hard and I instinctively turned round and said f*** off. Then another stormed forward and, before I could do anything, a player spits in my face.

"Emile immediately jumped over to protect me and grabbed this bloke. After that, all hell broke loose."

Both country's national associations were fined by Uefa for their part in the tunnel incident.