LONDON: Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas said the club fully backed captain John Terry who has strenuously denied racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during their Premier League match at Loftus Road on Sunday.
Terry issued a statement on Sunday saying the incident during the west London derby, which QPR won 1-0, was the result of a misunderstanding.
However, he was waiting to hear if Ferdinand, the younger brother of his longtime England colleague Rio, would be making a formal complaint against him.
“John is a player who represents this country to the highest level internationally. He is a player of great responsibilities. He said to me the incident was a big misunderstanding,” Villas-Boas told a news conference on Tuesday.
“That’s why he put his statement out straight away.
“I find it strange when people don’t trust the words of a representative from your country.”
Terry, who says he has known Ferdinand for many years, added that the two had a chat after the game, but the incident was publicised by footage shown on the internet and by an anonymous complaint made to the police who have confirmed they are looking into the matter.
Police investigate Terry racism claim
Police are investigating allegations that Chelsea captain John Terry racially abused Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match.
The Metropolitan police said Tuesday that they were “notified of an incident … involving alleged racial abuse” after a complaint from a member of the public following Sunday’s match between the west London clubs. (Agencies)