SCOTTISH football's governing body will take action against Rangers chief executive Charles Green after he admitted to occasionally using a racist reference to address his friend and colleague Imran Ahmad.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) said its compliance officer, a legal expert, had issued a notice of complaint to Green.
The organisation tweeted: “Rangers chief executive Charles Green issued with notice of complaint.”
The notice of complaint stated that Green had breached disciplinary rules by making comments in a media interview of an offensive and racist nature that were not in the best interests of his club and which could bring the game into disrepute.
Green now has until Wednesday, April 17 to respond to the complaint. The principal date for the hearing is Thursday, April 25.
Police Scotland has confirmed it has had one complaint from a member of the public about the use of the word "Paki", and has recorded it as a "hate crime incident", but said "no criminality has been established".
Mr Green confirmed at the weekend he used the word when in the company of the Rangers director, who has not made an official complaint.
Meanwhile, Mr Green has admitted teaming up with former owner Craig Whyte in the early stages of the buyout of the club, with him receiving £25,000 to cover legal costs.
Mr Green said: "Mr Whyte didn't pay money into my bank account. £25,000 was put into my bank account. For legal costs. And three days later, the cheque bounced."
Mr Whyte is launching legal cases against Mr Green and his group, claiming they were acting as a "front" for him during the £5.5 million deal for the club's assets last summer.
Anti-racism charity Show Racism the Red Card said Mr Green's language towards Mr Ahmad was ill-advised and the term used highly offensive.
The businessman has since played down his use of the term, but said he would not accept such remarks being made by any other Rangers employee.
In a statement, Mr Green said the response from Show Racism the Red Card had been a "kneejerk reaction" and his comments had been taken out of context.
"The point I made when I was being interviewed the other day was about my relationship with Imran, and his relationship with me where he calls me a Yorkshire so-and-so," he said.
"My use of the word 'Paki' was when I was referring to how I sometimes warmly address my colleague and friend Imran Ahmad when we meet, something we both know is light-hearted. I deplore racism and sectarianism."
A Police Scotland spokeswoman said there was no evidence a crime has been committed.
Green has also moved to admit publicly calling the club's current squad the "worst Rangers team ever" was a mistake, although he stood by the view.
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