Rio Ferdinand names one condition to interview John Terry 14 years after racism row

Rio Ferdinand has admitted that John Terry would need to address unresolved issues with his brother, Anton, before being considered as a guest on his podcast - despite welcoming numerous former England team-mates. Ferdinand has become a major figure in the podcasting sphere and has recently sat down with Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen. He's also featured several of his old Manchester United colleagues on the programme but has set out clear conditions for Terry's potential appearance.

The pair were defensive partners for England's national side for a number of years, but their bond was severely damaged when Terry faced accusations of racially abusing Anton. In 2011, Anton alleged that Terry had used racially-charged language towards him during a game between QPR and Chelsea. The incident sparked a major racism controversy that resulted in Terry being stripped of the England captaincy, handed a four-match suspension and fined £220,000 by the Football Association - though he avoided any criminal sanctions.

Ferdinand insists that Terry must reconcile with his brother before he would think about inviting the Chelsea legend onto his show. Anton has previously indicated his willingness to have a conversation with the Chelsea icon.

When questioned about the possibility of hosting Terry on his podcast, Ferdinand told The Times: "I don't know. I think he probably needs to speak to my brother before he speaks to me. And he's not spoken to my brother."

Anton confessed that he didn't hear any slur at the time, but video footage appeared to show Terry allegedly calling him a "f****** black ****". Despite being charged with racial abuse in a criminal law case, Terry was ultimately acquitted in court.

He has maintained that he said: "Oi, Anton, do you think I called you a black ****?".

The FA subsequently charged him for using "abusive and/or insulting words or behaviour" which "included a reference to the ethnic origin and or race of Ferdinand". The former Chelsea captain decided not to contest the decision and later apologised for the "language used".

In an interview with Simon Jordan in April 2024, Terry addressed the controversy, claiming he had attempted to reach out to Ferdinand afterwards but was ignored. However, Anton quickly responded and suggested they sit down and watch the footage together.

On social media, he stated: "As you know, I'd done a documentary for the BBC (Football, Racism and Me) which stated all the facts, which he [Terry] actually declined coming on. I wanted him on there to create positive change.

"I've seen what he's had to say on Simon Jordan's podcast so my thing is this: if you really want to make positive change, I'll sit down with you with live cameras rolling so there's nowhere for us to hide.

"We'll look at the actual footage, unblurred, and we'll start from there. If you don't want to talk about it like that, as far as I'm concerned the case is closed for me."