Trending Topics

English Soccer Player Again Charged With Racial Slur

Chelsea soccer captain John Terry, who was cleared of attacking a player with racial slurs just two weeks ago, was was charged by the English Football Association on Friday with the same offense. And with the world in London for the 30th Olympic Games, no less.

The FA, the London governing body, said it considered the evidence from the trial before charging Terry with directing abuse at Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match last October.

”I deny the charge, and I will be requesting the opportunity to attend the commission for a personal hearing,” Terry said.

The FA alleged Terry ”used abusive and-or insulting words and/or behavior … (and) included a reference to the ethnic origin and-or color and/or race of Anton Ferdinand.”

In court, prosecutors claimed that Terry snapped in response to insults about an alleged extramarital affair and bellowed ”(expletive) black (expletive)” at Ferdinand.

But Terry said he only used the offensive term sarcastically to counter the profanity he claims Ferdinand was accusing him of using.

The magistrate who ruled on the case at Westminster Magistrates’ Court said in his judgment that Terry’s explanation was ”certainly under the cold light of forensic examination, unlikely.”

But he found Terry not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offense after deciding it was ”impossible” to be sure what the defender said.

The FA, which has already interviewed Ferdinand and Terry, had to suspend its investigation into October’s west London derby when the police probe began.

Liverpool forward Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches last season for racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra during another Premier League match in October. What punishment Terry would face remains to be seen. But his history of such ugly allegations very well could prompt more severe suspension. Worse, is that he’s painted a cloud over himself with these two incidents.

 

Back to top