John Terry’s defence against claims he racially abused Anton Ferdinand was “improbable, implausible, contrived”, according to the Football Association panel which found him guilty.
The FA’s 63-page report explaining why Terry was banned for four games and fined £220,000 was published on Friday. The panel says the Chelsea captain, 31, “is not a racist” but it is “satisfied” his comments were used as an insult.
The FA also dismissed Ashley Cole’s courtroom evidence in support of Terry, adding that there were “further aspects” of the Chelsea defender’s defence which it found “improbable, implausible and contrived”.
Instead, the panel said it was satisfied that Terry had used the racial phrase “as an insult” because he was “angry” over being taunted by Ferdinand, the way the match had gone and the likelihood that Chelsea were going to lose.
And while neither Terry not Cole gave evidence, the Commission looked at the left-back’s courtroom insistence that he had been told by his captain that he had been accused of racial abuse on the pitch by Ferdinand and stated:
“We are driven to find, on the balance of probabilities, that even if such an exchange took place (as to which we have some doubt), it was contrived by Mr Terry.
Ashley Cole was furious at the FA questioning his honesty and tweeted this after the written report wad released.
Cole’s tweet is another headache for Roy Hodgson ahead of England’s World Cup qualifiers next week. Will Cole’s outburst bring sanctions from the FA and will that impact his availability for England?