Ranieri: Remained tight-lipped after the Boro game (PhilCole/Allsport)

Amid a growing chorus of criticism about the four, Chelsea refused to comment further today after issuing apologies at the weekend.

Icelandic international Eidur Gudjohnsen and three England Under-21 internationals, Jody Morris, John Terry and £11 million signing Frank Lampard, went on an alcohol-fuelled spree of misbehaviour when the club's UEFA Cup match was called off because of the terrorist attacks on America.

They were accused of stripping, vomiting and laughing in front of guests at the Heathrow Posthouse at a time when the hotel was full of worried Americans waiting for flights home.

When their behaviour was revealed to the club by the News of the World, the four men were each fined two weeks' wages - the maximum penalty for internal disciplinary offences under football rules.

All four issued statements apologising for their actions. Manager Claudio Ranieri also apologised on behalf of the players and managing director Colin Hutchinson said: 'Remorse that the players have shown is absolutely genuine. They are all very sorry.'

But all four of the disgraced players appeared for Chelsea in yesterday's Stamford Bridge match against Middlesbrough, after which Ranieri refused to comment further on the affair and none of the four was made available for interview.

The club have been very open towards the Press this season, but this time there was silence.

Today a number of players at other clubs criticised the Chelsea four, with West Ham's Paolo Di Canio saying they should be banned for a month. The behaviour of the Chelsea players was revealed on a weekend in which Paul Gascoigne admitted in a newspaper interview that he is an alcoholic and when former footballing superstar George Best appeared on television and admitted that he had nearly died because of alcohol abuse.