The Football Association have released their report explaining why they rejected Chelsea captain John Terry’s defence and found the player guilty of racially insulting Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand last year.

The FA published a 63-page document on Friday giving the reasons that led them to impose a four-match ban and 220,000-pound ($355,600) fine last week for an incident that occurred during a Premier League match at QPR’s Loftus Road ground. Terry, who has until Oct.

18 to appeal against the ban and fine, was found not guilty of a racially aggravated offence towards Ferdinand by London magistrates in July. The FA, who held their own inquiry into the incident, ruled they did not believe Terry was a racist, but they rejected his defence and said they had no doubt he racially abused Ferdinand in the game, after being provoked by the QPR player.

Terry admits Mistake

In the document, the FA said there was “no credible basis” for the Chelsea skipper’s defence that he was only repeating words he believed the QPR defender had said to him.
 
Terry admitted using the word “black” surrounded by highly offensive swear words during the match but claimed he had only been repeating words he thought Ferdinand had accused him of saying. In its full written report on the verdict, the FA’s independent regulatory commission said it was satisfied the words were intended as an insult by Terry.

The document states: “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****** black c***’ were directed at Ferdinand by way of forceful rejection and/or inquiry. “Instead, we are quite satisfied, and find on the balance of probabilities, that the offending words were said by way of insult.

We are able to arrive at that decision without needing to make any adverse findings against Mr Terry arising out of his decision not to give evidence.”