Ferdinand slams Blatter racism comments

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has hit out at FIFA president Sepp Blatter for his comments on the presence of racism in football.

Blatter claimed on Wednesday that racism is not rife in football and encouraged players to resolve such abuse with a handshake.

The head of football’s global governing later released a statement re-affirming FIFA’s commitment to combatting racism, claiming that his comments had been misinterpreted.

Blatter’s initial remarks drew the ire of Ferdinand, whose brother, Anton, has been the central figure in the police investigation into allegations that England and Chelsea captain John Terry racially abused the QPR defender.

“Tell me I have just read Sepp Blatter’s comments on racism in football wrong….if not then I am astonished,” Ferdinand wrote on his official Twitter account.

“I feel stupid for thinking that football was taking a leading role against racism…..it seems it was just on mute for a while. Just for clarity if a player abuses a referee, does a shake of the hand after the game wipe the slate clean??”

“Is Sepp Blatter on twitter??? or is he too out of touch to know about it??”

Ferdinand later addressed the head of FIFA directly via Twitter: “Your comments on racism are so condescending its almost laughable. If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that ok?”

Ferdinand’s United team-mate, Patrice Evra, is at the heart of another race row with Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, who was charged by the FA for allegedly racially abusing Evra during a Premier League match at Anfield in October.

Blatter released a statement later on Wednesday claiming that his comments had been ‘misunderstood’.

Initially, the 75-year-old argued that ‘there is no racism’ in football and that ‘the one affected by this (racism) should say this is a game and shake’.

In a later statement, Blatter said: “I would like to make it very clear, I am committed to the fight against racism and any type of discrimination in football and in society.”

“My comments have been misunderstood. What I wanted to express is that, as football players, during a match, you have ‘battles’ with your opponents, and sometimes things are done which are wrong,” he said.

“But, normally, at the end of the match, you apologise to your opponent if you had a confrontation during the match, you shake hands, and when the game is over, it is over.”

“I have been personally leading this battle against racism in football, which FIFA has been fighting against throughout the past years through campaigns in all of our competitions such as the ‘Say no to racism’ campaign.”