Rio Ferdinand will not face disciplinary action from UEFA for sarcastically applauding Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

The Manchester United defender confronted Cakir after his decision to send off Nani during the Champions League last-16 match against Real Madrid which United lost 2-1 for a 3-2 aggregate defeat.

After receiving the referee’s report, however, UEFA will take no action against Ferdinand.

A UEFA spokesman said: “From the report we have received from the referee we will not take any action apart from the disciplinary proceedings against Manchester United for the red card of Nani and for post-match media obligations not being fulfilled.”

In 2005, Wayne Rooney was sent off after being shown a second yellow card when he sarcastically applauded referee Kim Milton Nielsen during a 1-1 draw against Spanish side Villarreal in the Champions League.

UEFA’s disciplinary body will assess whether Nani’s red card for a high challenge on Alvaro Arbeloa was worthy of punishment beyond an automatic one-match ban.

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