Terry denies racism as AVB rails at ref
QPR (1) vs CHELSEA (0)
CHELSEA captain John Terry last night emphatically denied allegations he made racist comments to QPR defender Anton Ferdinand in yesterday’s explosive west London derby.
Blues stars Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa were both sent off in a match decided by Heidar Helguson’s first-half penalty, and manager Andre Villas-Boas could face punishment after admitting confronting referee Chris Foy in a “very aggressive” manner at full-time.
Television footage of Terry in a heated exchange with Ferdinand later sparked speculation of a racist outburst, but the England skipper last night hit back, saying the matter had been “a misunderstanding”.
“I thought Anton was accusing me of using a racist slur against him,” said Terry. “I responded aggressively, saying I never used that term. I’d never say such a thing, and I’m saddened that people would think so. I’ve known Anton for a long time and spoke to him after the game and there was no problem between us.” Villas-Boas was furious after his second Premier League defeat and blamed Foy, who dismissed Drogba for a two-footed lunge and Bosingwa for fouling Shaun Wright-Phillips as he broke clear. “The ref was very, very poor, and it reflected in the result,” Villas-Boas said. “I spoke to him at the end and I was very aggressive to him. I don’t care if he is okay or not.”
The Football Association could investigate the remarks, while Chelsea are likely to face a charge of failing to control their players, triggered by two red and seven yellow cards.
QPR manager Neil Warnock praised Foy after his first home league win of the season, which he called “the greatest day of my career”.
He said: “I am so pleased that we had the referee because a lot would have been conned.”