‘He refused to speak to me’ - John Terry opens up on 13 years estrangement with Ferdinand brothers

The former Chelsea captain, cleared by the Crown Prosecution Service but later charged by the FA, served a four-match ban and faced a hefty fine in the aftermath of a match against QPR. 

Despite maintaining his innocence, Terry's relationship with Rio Ferdinand remains strained, with the latter reportedly refusing to engage even during chance encounters, such as on a beach in Dubai.

Speaking on William Hill's Up Front With Simon Jordan Podcast, as reported by the Mirror, Terry expressed his disappointment in the lack of dialogue following the incident. 

Terry said, "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.

"I tried to make contact with Anton that evening after the game," he recounted. "I tried to make contact with Rio and their agent after the game and I basically got shut down instantly from all of them."

Reflecting on what could have been a pivotal moment for addressing racism in football, Terry emphasized the potential power of collaboration between himself and the Ferdinand brothers. 

"We could've done something that was more powerful than what came about in the end, and that's my disappointment," he admitted.

However, Anton Ferdinand's perspective differs from Terry's account. In a BBC documentary addressing racism in football, Anton stated, "I never received a call personally from JT prior to the documentary or during the process." 

He emphasized his openness to dialogue, saying, "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?"