LONDON: Chelsea’s John Terry will not appeal against his four-match ban and 220,000-pound fine for racially insulting Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand, the player said in a statement on Thursday.
Terry, 31, was found guilty by a Football Association (FA) tribunal of using a racial slur towards Ferdinand during a Premier League match last year.
The centre back was acquitted in a court of law for the same offence and always maintained his innocence but apologised today for the language he used in his altercation with Ferdinand.
European champions Chelsea released a statement saying they had taken disciplinary action against the former England captain, but did not reveal the details of any additional punishment.
“After careful consideration, I have decided not to appeal against the FA judgment,” Terry said.
“I want to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone for the language I used in the game against Queens Park Rangers last October.
“Although I’m disappointed with the FA judgment, I accept that the language I used, regardless of the context, is not acceptable on the football field or indeed in any walk of life.”
The Chelsea captain will now miss Saturday’s match against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, as well as two matches against Manchester United, including a League Cup tie, and a trip to Swansea City.
Cole fined for tweet
Meanwhile, Chelsea defender Ashley Cole has been fined 90,000 pounds by the FA for a Twitter insult he aimed at the governing body last week.
The England international called the FA a “bunch of t***s” after being accused of “evolving” his statement supporting team mate Terry’s defence. (Reuters)