By Andrew Warshaw
October 19 – Former England captain John Terry has chosen not to appeal against the four-match ban and £220,000 ($353,000/€271,000) fine imposed on him for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers a year ago – and has apologised for his comments.
The Chelsea skipper was given two weeks to study the written reasons for the sanctions meted out by a Football Association (FA) independent panel, which had dismissed his defence as “improbable, implausible and contrived”.
Terry (pictured top and below, right, with Ferdinand, centre) will therefore miss tomorrow’s eagerly anticipated showdown with Tottenham Hotspur – the first time Spurs manager André Villas Boas will be facing his former club – plus the potentially decisive home game with Manchester United, as well as the League Cup game, also against United, and Chelsea’s visit to Swansea.
In a statement released by his management agency, Terry, who was previously cleared of a similar offence by a Magistrates’ court, said: “After careful consideration, I have decided not to appeal against the FA judgment.
“I want to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone for the language I used in the game against Queens Park Rangers last October.
“Although I’m disappointed with the FA judgment, I accept that the language I used, regardless of the context, is not acceptable on the football field or indeed in any walk of life.
“As I stated in the criminal case, with the benefit of hindsight my language was clearly not an appropriate reaction to the situation for someone in my position.
“My response was below the level expected by Chelsea Football Club, and by me, and it will not happen again.
“Looking forward, I will continue to do my part in assisting the club to remove all types of discriminatory behaviour from football.
“I am extremely grateful for the consistent support of Chelsea FC, the fans and my family.”
The independent panel had ruled that Terry, who recently retired from international football at the age of 31, was “not a racist” but said his comments were used as an insult.
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