From the heights of captaining England and Chelsea, John Terry's football career faces being forever marred by being banned on Thursday for racially abusing an opponent.
Almost a year after hurling a slur at Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand, Terry was handed a four-match ban and a record $356,000 US fine by a Football Association disciplinary panel after a four-day hearing.
The 31-year-old defender, who has been named four times in UEFA's team of the year, remains aggrieved that the FA pursued a case against him despite being cleared in a criminal trial in July of a racially aggravated public order offence.
"Mr. Terry is disappointed that the FA Regulatory Commission has reached a different conclusion to the clear not guilty verdict of a court of law," Terry's management team said. "He has asked for the detailed written reasons of the decision before deciding whether to lodge an appeal."
