Grant criticises FA over Terry charge

LONDON (AFP) –

Chelsea footballer John Terry leaves Westminster Magistrates court in London, on July 13. Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant has slammed the Football Association for taking action against Terry, but admitted he was surprised by the player’s decision to end his England career.

Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant on Tuesday slammed the Football Association (FA) for taking action against John Terry, but admitted he was surprised by the player’s decision to end his England career.

Terry returned to FA headquarters at Wembley stadium in northwest London on Tuesday morning for the second day of a disciplinary hearing over a charge he used racist language towards QPR defender Anton Ferdinand.

The 31-year-old central defender was cleared of racially abusing fellow defender Ferdinand in court last July. The FA investigation however followed the criminal proceedings.

“Nobody thinks that John Terry is a racist, so the FA need to leave it,” Grant, who coached Chelsea from 2007-2008, told BBC radio.

“John likes to fight and he’s very passionate about the national team so I was surprised. But he’s not a child — he knows what he’s doing. One thing I must say about JT is that he’s not a racist, that’s for sure. He’s a good man.”

Terry effectively accused the FA of forcing his hand after they pursued charges, despite him being cleared in the criminal case of a racially-aggravated public order offence over the same incident last October.

Although the FA accepted that the case had taken too long to resolve, it denied Terry’s claim, insisting that there were two separate proceeds between England matters and those at club level.