Rio Ferdinand has expressed that he would only be open to interviewing his ex-England teammate John Terry under one specific condition.
This statement follows the ongoing controversy surrounding a well-known racism allegation involving Ferdinand’s brother, Anton Ferdinand.
The incident occurred during a 2011 Premier League fixture between Queens Park Rangers and Chelsea.
Anton Ferdinand accused Terry of directing racially offensive language at him, a claim that triggered serious repercussions.
As a result, Terry was relieved of his England captaincy, received a four-match suspension, and was fined £220,000 by the Football Association.
Ferdinand’s stance
The former Manchester United defender, now a prominent football podcast host, has firmly stated that John Terry remains off-limits for interviews until he addresses the unresolved matter with Anton Ferdinand.
Anton Ferdinand has previously shared his feelings of being unfairly blamed and the additional racial abuse he endured after the incident.
When questioned by The Times about the possibility of having Terry on his podcast, Rio outlined his condition clearly.
“I’m not sure,” he responded. “I believe he should have a conversation with my brother first, but that hasn’t happened yet.”
The original episode involved Terry being formally accused of racial misconduct, although he was acquitted in a criminal court.
Terry claimed that he was questioning Anton with the phrase, “Oi, Anton, do you think I called you a black c*?” rather than directing the insult at him.
Despite the court’s verdict, the Football Association proceeded with its own disciplinary action against the then-Chelsea captain for using “abusive and/or insulting words or behaviour” that referenced Anton’s ethnicity or race. Terry accepted the FA’s decision without appeal and apologized for his language.