Share

No Terry reunion for Rio

accreditation
Rio Ferdinand (AFP)
Rio Ferdinand (AFP)

London - Rio Ferdinand won't face former England centre-back partner John Terry, fined for racially abusing his younger brother Anton Ferdinand, when Queens Park Rangers play London rivals Chelsea at Loftus Road on Sunday.

Terry was banned and fined £220 000 by the Football Association for racially abusing then QPR defender Anton Ferdinand at Loftus Road in 2011.

The incident prompted a falling-out between Rio Ferdinand and Terry, who gave up the England captaincy in the ensuing bitter furore and has not played at QPR's home ground since September 2012.

Sunday's match is important to both clubs for different reasons, with Premier League leaders Chelsea looking to move one step closer to the title as QPR try to climb out of the relegation zone.

QPR manager Chris Ramsey, confirming Rio Ferdinand's absence, said Friday: "Rio has unfortunately got an injury. He's had a knock and it's recurring, he keeps trying to train.

"He's someone we miss immensely. We miss his leadership qualities on the pitch. Unfortunately, he won't be involved in the game," added Ramsey, whose side followed a heartening 4-1 win at West Bromwich Albion with a 3-3 draw against fellow strugglers Aston Villa on Tuesday.

Ramsey, one of a handful of black managers in English football after being given the QPR job following the resignation of Harry Redknapp in February, said he expected home supporters to make their feelings towards Terry clear.

"Fans are fans aren't they?," Ramsey said. "That's a subject that brings up a lot of different emotions. So, it would be odd to think that there isn't going to be an extra feeling towards that situation.

"The whole episode for British society sat uncomfortably. It's not something we want to highlight in football. It happened and it's been dealt with. We have to move on and hopefully everyone has learned something from it."

And Ramsey added he would have no difficulty in shaking hands with Terry, provided nothing untoward took place during Sunday's match.

"Ultimately John Terry is a player of Chelsea. I am a manager of QPR," he said.

"As a man, as a person, I would shake his hand. I don't know what his feelings are towards me. As long as there wasn't anything on the field that wasn't unprofessional by him, I would shake his hand."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Fixtures
Sat 27 Apr 24 13:30 PM (SAST)
West Ham
West Ham
Liverpool
Liverpool
London Stadium
Sat 27 Apr 24 16:00 PM (SAST)
Fulham
Fulham
Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace
Craven Cottage
SuperSport
Sat 27 Apr 24 16:00 PM (SAST)
Wolves
Wolves
Luton Town
Luton Town
Molineux Stadium
Results
Thu 25 Apr 24
Brighton
Brighton 0
Manchester City
Manchester City 4
Wed 24 Apr 24
Manchester United
Manchester United 4
Sheffield United
Sheffield United 2
Wed 24 Apr 24
Everton
Everton 2
Liverpool
Liverpool 0
Logs
Team
P
W
PTS
Team Logo
1. Arsenal
34
24
77
Team Logo
2. Manchester City
33
23
76
Team Logo
3. Liverpool
34
22
74
Team Logo
4. Aston Villa
34
20
66