BERNE: Chelsea captain John Terry will be able to play from the start of the Champions League campaign after his three-match ban was reduced on appeal by UEFA on Monday.
The England defender was sent off in last season’s semifinal second leg against Barcelona in the Nou Camp for an off-the-ball clash with Alexis Sanchez.
The offence saw Terry handed an automatic three-match suspension for violent conduct, the first game of which was the final against Bayern Munich, where Chelsea won the title for the first time after a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
But European football’s governing body have partially upheld Terry’s subsequent appeal, which means he will now also miss the Super Cup clash with Europa League winners Atletico Madrid on August 31, but with the third match suspended for three years.
A statement from UEFA read: “The UEFA Appeals Body has partially upheld John Terry’s appeal against the three-match European ban imposed on the Chelsea FC defender at the end of last season.
“Although the central defender is still suspended for three UEFA club matches, the third game of the ban has now been deferred for a probationary period of three years.”
Winners Chelsea qualified directly for the group stages of the Champions League, taking the place of Tottenham, who had finished above the Blues in fourth place in the Premier League.
Terry had recently been embroiled in a legal case relating to alleged racist remarks made to Anton Ferdinand during an EPL match. Although he was acquitted of those charges, he still faces possible measures by the EPL. (AP)
