John Terry admits Rio Ferdinand still won't engage with him after the Chelsea legend was accused of racism by his brother, Anton.
The ex-Blues captain found himself facing serious allegations after his side lost to QPR back in 2011. He was cleared by the Crown Prosecution Service but later charged by the FA. He served a four-match ban and was forced to pay a six-figure fine.
Terry has always maintained his innocence and formed part of an England backline that featured Rio. The pair were the first-choice pairing for a period but no longer have any contact with the ex-Manchester United star shunning him on a beach in Dubai.
He said on William Hill's Up Front With Simon Jordan Podcast : "Since then I've tried to speak to Rio, who doesn't want to talk to me at all. "I've seen him on the beach in Dubai and he refused to speak to me. I think it could have been addressed and dealt with a lot better if I'm honest."
Terry also claimed he tried to reach out to Anton and Rio in the immediate aftermath on the incident, but neither man wanted to engage. The ex-England skipper admits that they could've been a force for change in tackling racism, but nothing ever came about.
"I tried to make contact with Anton that evening after the game," he said. "I tried to make contact with Rio and their agent after the game and I basically got shut down instantly from all of them.
"I knew Anton we were mates, not socially, but we always got on well, obviously got on well with Rio. We could've done something that was more powerful than what come about in the end and that's my disappointment."
Anton, years later, took part in a BBC documentary where he opened up on the incident and the issues of racism within football. He reached out to Terry but the Chelsea legend chose not to take part in any discussions. Anton has also refused claims that Terry tried to reach out to him.
He said on social media back in 2021: "I never received a call personally from JT prior to the documentary or during the process. As I stated on the doc, the door is still open to have a conversation if he’s serious about racism in football & wanting to create positive change. Call me then JT?"
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