UEFA clears Frei of spitting allegation

Lisbon:

UEFA today cleared Swiss forward Alexander Frei of allegations he spat at England midfielder Steven Gerrard in the teams' Group B game at Euro 2004 and he will be able to play against France in Switzerland's next match. "The control and disciplinary body considered the evidence at hand not conclusive enough," UEFA said in a statement. UEFA took the decision after studying videotapes of the incident and written statements from both sides. Had he been found guilty, Frei would have missed the game against defending champion France, which Switzerland needs to win to stand any chance of advancing. Earlier in the tournament, UEFA took action against Italy's Francesco Totti based on TV footage that showed the AS Roma star spitting into the face of Denmark's Christian Poulsen during a 0-0 tie in Guimaraes. (AP)