(CNN) -- Alex Ferguson has defended the Premier League referee at the center of a racism row, saying Chelsea's allegations are "unthinkable."
Ferguson, one of football's most venerated and decorated figures, insists he does not believe claims that Mark Clattenburg used "inappropriate language" towards Chelsea's Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel during Manchester United's 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
While both the police and Football Association have launched an investigation into the alleged incident, Ferguson has stepped in to defend the match official, who has been stood down from duty pending the inquiries.
"I don't believe Mark Clattenburg would make any comments like that. I refuse to believe it," Ferguson told reporters ahead of United's game against Arsenal on Saturday.
"I think it is unthinkable in the modern climate. I just don't believe it -- simple as that. I've never had a player come to me in the last 15 years and say a referee swore in a game -- ever.
England midfielder Danny Rose claims he was subjected to monkey chants before, during and after the second-leg of their Under-21 Euro 2013 playoff match against Serbia on Tuesday, and had stones thrown at him by the crowd in Krusevac. Fans also ran on to the pitch and scuffles broke out after a 1-0 win secured England qualification for Euro 2013.
Soccer racism in Eastern Europe
It is now nearly a year since Chelsea lost to QPR 1-0 in an English Premier League game at Loftus Road. During the game it was alleged QPR defender Anton Ferdinand swore at John Terry and made reference to the Chelsea captain's reported affair with the ex-partner of former team-mate Wayne Bridge. Terry is then said to have described Ferdinand as a "f***ing black c***".
Crime and Punishment in sport
Walter Tull became the first black outfield player to play in the English top flight when he signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 1909. Tull was the subject of racist abuse, with one particular match against Bristol City leading to Tottenham selling him to Northampton Town.
Walter Tull: Black footballing pioneer
"The way we see the game today rather than how it was 25 years ago, it has completely changed.
"I played myself and I know that the banter which went on between referees and players 25 years ago is different to today.
"There is no way a referee would stoop to that, I am convinced of that."
Police to investigate 'racist' referee in Chelsea case
Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo, whose side takes on Swansea on Saturday, refused to become embroiled in a war of words with Ferguson.
"It's a free country and everybody can say what they want," the Italian told reporters. "He likes to talk about other clubs. We tend not to."
Police launch hunt for 'racist' Chelsea fan
Meanwhile, the Chelsea fan who allegedly made racist gestures at United's Danny Welbeck during Wednesday's League Cup tie has been named as 28-year-old Gavin Kirkham from the county of Hertfordshire, north of London.
Kirkham was photographed making a "monkey" action towards Welbeck, triggering another police investigation.
Chelsea has already vowed to crack down on any acts of racism and Di Matteo insists the London club is determined to eradicate the problem.
"I always said that we are against any form of discrimination," he said.
"We will support anyone who is fighting that. That's our position and my personal belief as well.
"The fact that these incidents are happening give a lot of media exposure and makes people aware that we have to fight maybe a little more strongly than perhaps we thought.
"Everyone has to be involved in this process to eradicate it from the sport and life in general."
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The Macedonia FA were fined $26,000 after fans racially abused England trio Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell and Emile Heskey during a qualifying game for Euro 2004.
In September 2011, Bulgaria were fined $55,000 after a small number of fans directed monkey chants at England's Ashley Young, Cole and Theo Walcott during a Euro 2012 qualifier in Sofia.
Russia was hit with a $38,000 punishment after supporters made monkey noises towards Czech Republic defender Theodor Gebre Selassie during Euro 2012
The Croatian FA were ordered to pay a $16,000 fine after their fans were found guilty of "displaying a racist banner and showing racist conduct during the Euro 2008 quarter-final tie against Turkey.
Russia were again in the news for the wrong reasons at Euro 2012 and were fined $39,00 for "the setting off and throwing of fireworks by Russia spectators, displaying of illicit banners and the invasion of the pitch by a supporter," during the Euro 2012 tie against Poland. Russia was also fined $155,000 after clashes between supporters and police during and after their game against the Czech Republic.
Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner was given a one-match ban and a $126,000 fine after he lifted his shirt to reveal a betting company's logo on his underwear while celebrating a goal against Portugal in a Euro 2012 group game.
Porto were hit by a $27,000 fine after their fans were found guilty of subjecting Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli to monkey chants during a Europa League game in February 2012. It took UEFA six weeks to finally hand out a punishment. But questions were raised after UEFA also fined City $40,000 after the club were found guilty of coming back out on to the field of play late after the halftime interval.
In July, Terry was cleared in a London court, where the criminal burden of proof is "beyond all reasonable doubt". But the English Football Association then investigated the case, and using the test of "on the balance of probabilities", came to the conclusion that Terry's defence against claims he racially abused Ferdinand was "improbable, implausible, contrived".
Back in September, Ferdinand had declined Terry's offer of a handshake when QPR met Chelsea at Loftus Road as the feud between the two players rumbled on.
After the FA delivered the independent commission's report on the Terry case, the Chelsea captain's teammate Ashley Cole tweeted: "Hahahahaa, well done #fa I lied did I, #BUNCHOFT***S". The Chelsea and England left-back quickly issued a "unreserved apology" for his tweet through his solicitor.
In 2011 the FA had to deal with another racism case, this time handing Liverpool striker Luis Suarez an eight-match ban and a $63,000 fine after finding the Uruguayan guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra.
Suarez and Evra failed to shake hands before the start of an English Premier League game at Old Trafford last season after the Uruguayan had served his ban. However, when United beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield in September, the pair did shake hands.
In November 2011, FIFA president Sepp Blatter told CNN that football did not have a problem with racism on the field and any incidents should be settled by a handshake.
The FA's Independent Regulatory Commission heard 473 cases between December 2010 and December 2011, but only two of them ended in "not guilty" verdicts.
Stoke City boss Tony Pulis wants the Football Association to punish Liverpool's Luis Suarez for diving. "It's an embarrassment," said the Stoke manager after a 0-0 draw at Anfield. "The FA should be looking at this."
Tull had joined Spurs -- he is pictured here with his Spurs teammates sitting in the front row to the very right -- after helping Clapton F.C. win the Amateur Cup, London Senior Cup and London County Amateur Cup. He made his debut for Spurs at the age of 21.
The First World War broke out in 1914, with Tull signing up to the 17th Service Battalion of the Middlesex Regiment, otherwise known as The Football Battalion. He became the first black officer to lead troops into battle, although he was never officially recognized. Tull was fatally wounded by machine gun fire in the French town of Favreuil in 1918.
A play telling Tull's story is set for a run at Bolton's Octagon theatre, beginning on February 21. Nathan Ives-Moiba (left) will play Tull and he is pictured here with the Octagon's artistic director David Thacker (right). The pair are pictured alongside former footballer Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch while playing for Bolton Wanderers earlier this year.
Last weekend Reading's Grenadian striker Jason Roberts, who has played in England for the last 15 years, was one of a number of black players who refused to wear the Kick It Out T-shirt in protest at what he perceives to be the campaign group's lack of action in combating racism in football.
Rio Ferdinand was another player who opted not to wear the Kick It Out T-shirt. The Manchester United defender is reportedly involved in talks to set up a separate black footballers' association.
Andrew Watson is another pioneering black footballer. In 1881 he became the first black international player when he represented Scotland in a match with England.
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