LONDON: Chelsea captain John Terry was given a four-match ban by the Football Association (FA) after being found guilty of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers’ Anton Ferdinand yesterday.
An FA statement said an independent regulatory commission had issued a suspension for a period of four matches and a fine of £220,000 ($356,722, 276,000 euros) pending appeal.
Terry has 14 days from receiving the written reasons for the decision to lodge an appeal.
The ban will not come into force until the appeals procedure is complete.
In the short term, that means central defender Terry is available for European champions Chelsea’s Premier League match away to London rivals Arsenal on Saturday.
Former England skipper Terry, 31, was cleared of racially abusing Ferdinand in a criminal case in July over allegations relating to the same incident, which took place during a match in October. Terry dramatically announced his retirement from international football on Sunday, the day before what turned out to be a four-day hearing started.
He effectively accused the FA of forcing his hand after the governing body pressed on with charges following the court case.
“I feel the FA, in pursuing charges against me where I have already been cleared in a court of law, have made my position with the national team untenable,” he said in a statement issued last week.
Terry had hoped his courtroom acquittal would be the end of the matter, as the FA’s rule book states that the result of any previous legal action concerning the same matter will be “presumed to be correct.”
He admitted in court that he used racist language against Ferdinand but said he was merely repeating what he believed Ferdinand had accused him of saying.
John Terry gets four-match ban for racial abuse
John Terry gets four-match ban for racial abuse
Saudi Pro League warns Al-Nassr’s Ronaldo no player is bigger than club
- Ronaldo did not take part in the club’s SPL win at Al-Riyadh on Monday and is now set to miss Friday night’s clash against Al-Ittihad
RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League has warned Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo that “no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club” amid doubts over his future at Al–Nassr.
Ronaldo, reportedly unhappy at the club’s lack of transfer activity, did not take part in the club’s Saud Pro League win at Al-Riyadh on Monday and is now set to miss Friday night’s clash against Al-Ittihad.
In a statement issued to BBC Sport, a Saudi Pro League spokesperson said: “The Saudi Pro League is structured around a simple principle: every club operates independently under the same rules.
“Clubs have their own boards, their own executives and their own football leadership. Decisions on recruitment, spending and strategy sit with those clubs, within a financial framework designed to ensure sustainability and competitive balance. That framework applies equally across the league.”
The 40-year Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr’s match against Al-Riyadh on Monday amid reports he is on strike over the club’s lack of transfer activity.
Portuguese media outlet A Bola reported that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was unhappy that Al-Nassr, which is backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, has not strengthened its squad as it challenges for the league title.
“Cristiano has been fully engaged with Al–Nassr since his arrival and has played an important role in the club’s growth and ambition,” the Saudi Pro League spokesperson said.
“Like any elite competitor, he wants to win.
“But no individual – however significant – determines decisions beyond their own club.
“Recent transfer activity demonstrates that independence clearly. One club strengthened in a particular way. Another chose a different approach. Those were club decisions, taken within approved financial parameters.”
The Saudi Pro League spokesperson added: “The competitiveness of the league speaks for itself. With only a few points separating the top four, the title race is very much alive. That level of balance reflects a system that is working as intended.
“The focus remains on football – on the pitch, where it belongs – and on maintaining a credible, competitive competition for players and fans.”
