Eriksson: Terry case handled badly

Sven-Goran Eriksson has leapt to the defence of Chelsea captain John Terry, saying the defender’s racial abuse case had been handled poorly.

The 31-year-old defender was cleared of using racist language against Anton Ferdinand by Westminster Magistrates’ Court in July this year.

But the Football Association subsequently conducted their own investigation and slapped him with a four-game ban and a 220,000-pound fine for using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour in reference to Ferdinand.

Eriksson believes Terry should face punishment if he did express racist language, but insisted the whole incident has been handled poorly.

“It is obvious John should be punished if he’s expressed himself so inappropriately,” the former England manager told reporters.

“I refuse to believe (Terry) is a racist. What makes me upset is the FA punishment has come after a year.

“I honestly think the FA – and civil courts – have handled it in a miserable way.”

Terry quit the England team on Wednesday before the FA concluded their case a day later, with Eriksson suggesting Terry did so to protest the possible guilty verdict.

“It has obviously had a major impact and he has quit England,” he said.

“I suppose it was a kind of protest against the FA.”

Terry is still deciding whether to appeal the FA’s verdict, and will not be banned until he accepts the decision, or the 14-day appeal window expires.