Chelsea captain John Terry’s defence that he did not racially abuse an opponent was “implausible and contrived,” the FA panel that banned him for four matches says.
The panel’s 63-page findings were published on Friday, a week after the verdict.
Terry now has 14 days to decide whether to appeal against his four-match ban and STG220,000 ($A350,000) fine in English football’s highest-profile racism case.
Although Terry was cleared in a criminal court in July, an FA panel with a lower burden of proof found the former England captain guilty of directing abuse at Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand during a Premier League match last October.
Terry, who quit the national team before the verdict, maintained that he only used the slur to counter an accusation of racism he claimed Ferdinand was levelling at him.
But the FA commission concluded that aspects of Terry’s defence were “improbable, implausible and contrived…. which serve to underline and reinforce our decision.”
“The commission is quite satisfied, on the balance of probabilities, that there is no credible basis for Mr Terry’s defence that his use of the words ‘f***ing black c***’ were directed at Ferdinand by way of forceful rejection and/or inquiry,” the FA report said.
“Instead, we are quite satisfied, and find on the balance of probabilities, that the offending words were said by way of insult.”
The panel said “inconsistencies” in evidence from Terry’s Chelsea teammate Ashley Cole showed there is “plainly more than enough cumulative evidence” for the verdict.
In an initial interview with the FA last October, Cole did not say he heard Ferdinand use the word “black.” But Chelsea later asked the FA to insert the word “black” into Cole’s witness statement, suggesting he might have heard Ferdinand use the term.
Cole’s court testimony prompted Anton Ferdinand’s brother Rio to post a racist gibe about him on Twitter. As a result, the Manchester United defender was fined STG45,000 by the FA in August.
In the Terry judgment issued on Friday, the panel raised concerns about the long-term impact of the player’s high-profile outburst.
“His conduct undermines the FA’s efforts to promote inclusivity, equality and diversity and in combating racism in football,” the FA said, while stressing that Terry is not racist.
Since the confrontation, Ferdinand has been taunted by Chelsea fans when QPR has played its west London rival.
“The victim impact statement of Mr Ferdinand makes it plain that he has been badly affected by the incident,” the FA panel said.
“He has been the subject of hateful abuse and adverse comments, but has acted with restraint and dignity.”
Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo insisted he did not believe Terry capable of discrimination.
Di Matteo said: “From my judgment on this man, I’ve known him for many, many years since we played together.
“I’ve never had any doubt about the fact that his comments wouldn’t be of any kind of discrimination against any kind of ethnic party.”
Asked if he still stood by Terry, he added: “At the moment, he’s our captain and he’s available to play.”
