Players' chief Gordon Taylor admits he felt sickened by Liverpool striker Luis Suarez's handshake snub of Manchester United's Patrice Evra.
The Red Devils captain appeared to offer his hand to the Uruguay international, who was banned for eight matches for racially abusing the defender, but he bypassed the Frenchman and went straight to goalkeeper David de Gea.
Evra did not accept that and attempted to grab Suarez's arm to complete the formalities, but the striker shrugged him off.
Professional Footballers' Association chief executive Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live: "I thought today might have been a time to draw a line under it and move on.
"I'm extremely concerned that its reached this level now. It's going to have to be sorted by the FA, the Premier League, the PFA, the League Managers' Association ... because there's great rivalry which is no bad thing between clubs and cities, but this has escalated beyond that.
"Racism is an issue within a civilised society that if it's allowed to run riot divides people and separates them.
"Football is a sport that's supposed to bring people together and overcome such barriers.
"We have had a great record of assimilating players from all over the world, from different cultures and creeds, for a long time now.""Having heard before the game there was going to be handshakes, [and then] that it was so deliberately averted, I just felt quite sick in my stomach.
