The verdict from John Terry's disciplinary hearing into a charge the Chelsea skipper used racist language on the pitch could come today.
Terry returns to Wembley Stadium for a fourth day before a Football
Association independent regulatory panel and it is likely to be the
final one of the hearing.
The 31-year-old spent eight hours on
Wednesday at the hearing at Wembley Stadium, where he denies a charge
that he used a racist slur towards QPR's Anton Ferdinand in October last
year.
Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was banned for eight matches for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra a year ago, but was found to have done so on a number of occasions during the match.
Terry
is accused of a single utterance towards Ferdinand, which has led to
some speculation that if found guilty the Chelsea player would be more
likely to receive a four-match ban. However, close analysis of the full
reasons behind Suarez's ban shows that Terry could easily face a
similar-length ban if found guilty.
In Suarez's case, the FA
argued for an increased sanction "to ensure that it is widely understood
that the FA deprecates and will not accept racist behaviour. In other
words, a deterrent sanction is called for".
The FA also pointed
out that "Mr Suarez is an international footballer of exceptional
ability, playing for one of the best-known clubs in the world. His
position carries with it a particular degree of responsibility. His
conduct amounts to a serious breach of that responsibility".
Both of those criteria apply to Terry - particularly given that he was England captain at the time of the incident.
Terry
and his advisors are hoping that he will be completely exonerated - and
if he is not an appeal looks almost certain to be lodged because it is
understood the FA would not regard such an action as frivolous.
Terry
was found not guilty in a magistrates' court in July of a
racially-motivated public order offence with the prosecution unable to
prove he had called Ferdinand a "f****** black c***" as an insult. Terry
admitted using the words, but insisted he had only been repeating words
he thought Ferdinand had accused him of saying.
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