Soccer:Anton Ferdinand has held discussions with his lawyers about whether snubbing John Terry's handshake on Sunday would prejudice the Chelsea captain's forthcoming trial.
Terry and Ferdinand will face each other for the first time in the Premier League this weekend since Terry was charged with racially abusing the QPR centre back in the reverse fixture last October.
The English Football Association cancelled the pre-match handshake when the two clubs met in the FA Cup in January, but the Premier League insist that the handshake between the two sides will go ahead in Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge.
It is not known whether Ferdinand will definitely avoid shaking hands with Terry, but it is understood the former Sunderland and West Ham player has discussed with his lawyers whether doing so would prejudice the former England captain’s trial, which is due to take place on July 9th.
Terry was charged with a racially-aggravated public order offence in December last year. He denies the charge and has vowed to fight “tooth and nail” to clear his name.
It is understood Ferdinand has held talks with QPR about the handshake, and the player insists he is in the right frame of mind to play despite the hostile atmosphere he and his team-mates will face in Sunday’s west London derby.
Should Ferdinand snub Terry’s handshake, it will mark another chapter in what has been a turbulent year or so for Chelsea’s skipper.
Terry regained the England captaincy in March 2011 after originally losing the armband following newspaper allegations about his private life, but he lost the honour again in February after he was charged by the Criminal Prosecution Service for allegedly racially abusing Ferdinand.
The Chelsea centre half embarrassed himself on Tuesday night when he kneed Alexis Sanchez in the back during the Blues’ Champions League semi-final second leg against Barcelona and was sent off.
The Londoners went on to win the tie 3-2 on aggregate but Terry will be suspended for the final and he apologised for his conduct after the game in the Nou Camp.
The pre-match handshake has been a source of controversy this season, with Luis Suarez refusing to shake Patrice Evra’s hand prior to Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Manchester United in February.
That followed on from Evra accusing Suarez of racially abusing him. The Liverpool player later apologised for not shaking Evra’s hand and also served a suspension when the FA found Evra’s allegations to be proved.
The Premier League insist the fair play ritual, which they introduced into the top flight in 2004, is an important part of the game and will therefore remain.
Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore told the Sport Industry Breakfast Club last month: “It’s not a handshake that says everybody loves everybody else.
“It’s a handshake that says ‘whatever crap’s gone on before now and whatever crap will go on after this game is over, for the next 90 minutes, let’s just play a game of football’.
“It’s nothing more symbolic than that, which is why in our view, they should continue - period.”
