Chelsea captain John Terry cleared of racially abusing opponent in Premier League match

LONDON – A magistrate has cleared Chelsea captain John Terry of racially abusing an opponent during a Premier League match.

The case led to Terry being stripped of the England captaincy by the Football Association ahead of the European Championship and the departure of coach Fabio Capello who disagreed with the decision.

After hearing four days of evidence at a London court, chief magistrate Howard Riddle decided Friday that Terry was not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence in a confrontation with Queens Park Rangers player Anton Ferdinand during the match in October.

Terry maintained he only used an offensive term sarcastically to counter the obscenity he claims Ferdinand was accusing him of using.