By Andrew Warshaw
September 27 – Former England captain John Terry was found guilty of racial abuse today and banned for four matches by the Football Association (FA).
Less than three months ago, the Chelsea defender was acquitted in court of alleged racist language towards Anton Ferdinand (pictured top, left) of Queens Park Rangers.
Yet despite the verdict in July, later the same month the FA charged Terry (pictured top, right) with using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Ferdinand in relation to the infamous game between the teams last October.
And this time, an independent tribunal came to a different conclusion over Terry’s conduct.
Just before the high-profile, four-day case at Wembley, Terry, who was also fined £220,000 ($357,000/€277,000), retired from international football claiming the FA hearing had made his position with England “untenable”.
In the build-up to the hearing, in the corresponding fixture between the sides, Ferdinand refused to shake Terry’s hand, an incident that made worldwide back-page headlines.
Significantly, an FA statement said Terry’s ban would be suspended until after the outcome of any appeal – and first indications suggest that may well be what he will do.
Terry’s punishment is half the eight-match ban imposed on Luis Suárez after the Liverpool striker’s own racist comment comments, also last October, towards Manchester United’s Patrice Evra.
But Terry categorically denied the charges against him and will have 14 days from receiving the written reasons to decide whether to lodge an appeal.
The ban and fine will not come into effect until after he has decided what to do.
In another statement, Terry’s management company said: “Mr Terry is disappointed that the FA Regulatory Commission has reached a different conclusion to the clear not guilty verdict of a court of law.
“He has asked for the detailed written reasons of the decision and will consider them carefully before deciding whether to lodge an appeal.”
Former England manager Fabio Capello, who resigned as a result of Terry being stripped of the national captaincy in February, is understood to have provided written testimonies backing the controversial defender whose next scheduled game is at Arsenal on Saturday (September 29) in what is bound to be a spicy lunchtime derby clash.
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