QPR defender Rio Ferdinand has launched a sensational outburst against former England teammates John Terry and Ashley Cole, branding the former as “the biggest idiot.”
In an extract from his autobiography #2sides published in the Sun on Sunday (h/t The Telegraph ), the former Manchester United defender has spoken about an incident from 2011, when Terry was alleged to have used racist language towards Ferdinand’s brother Anton:
For me, the biggest idiot will always be John Terry
As England captain and my centre-back partner he could have saved everyone a lot of pain by admitting immediately he used the word in the heat of the moment, but was no racist.
I think that's probably what happened and what the truth is. Anton and I would've accepted that – instead he never gave us a chance.
That was the betrayal. He tried to run away from what he had done.
Ferdinand went on to confirm that he has not conversed with Terry since the incident, and he also feels betrayed by the actions of former international teammate Cole; the left-back went to court in support of the Chelsea captain during the investigative procedures, per The Telegraph :
Ashley Cole had long been a friend of mine. We've known each other since we were kids. But for me it ended the day he decided to go to court in support of John Terry.
Anton rang me and my head nearly blew off. He was betraying Anton, who he'd also known for years.
In court, Terry was cleared of using racist language towards Anton, but the FA found him guilty of " using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour." He was subsequently fined £220,000 and banned for four games, per Lee Roopanarine of The Guardian.
For the Ferdinand family, this was clearly a very testing time, and the manner in which Rio talks about the issue goes a long way to suggesting they’re still hurting. Indeed, Ferdinand also confirmed that his mother had her “windows smashed,” “bullets put through her door” and was eventually hospitalised due to the stress caused by the incident, per The Telegraph .
Ferdinand, who left Old Trafford on a free transfer last summer, is a player that’s been at the pinnacle of English football for well over a decade, and this taster from his upcoming publication will surely leave supporters craving more opinions from England’s most expensive defender ever.
You suspect these comments will also add spice to what is typically a volatile fixture anyway; Terry and Chelsea will welcome QPR and Ferdinand to Stamford Bridge on 1 November.
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