Chelsea, John Terry Cleared Of Disciplinary Action From FA Over Final Game Substitution

Chelsea and John Terry will receive no further disciplinary action from the Football Association (FA) over the former team captain’s substitution in his final game at Stamford Bridge at the end of last season.

Chelsea John Terry FA Disciplinary Action

The 36-year-old defender — who also served as England captain and now plays for Aston Villa — asked to leave Stamford Bridge in the 26th minute of Chelsea’s 5-1 Premier League victory over Sunderland on May 21. Terry arranged to be substituted in that specific minute because his jersey number is 26, and Chelsea manager Antonio Conte granted his request.

“I kind of negotiated with the manager to play 26 minutes and come off,” Terry told Sky Sports following that game. “I think he wanted to get the boys that didn’t play on Monday night against Watford and give them a run-out. It was a compromise between the two of us.”

Conte seemed delighted with the idea of Terry leaving in that minute to make his farewell after 19 years with the club extra special.

“To see our players prepare a guard of honor for him was great, a fantastic idea,” said the Italian boss of the defending Premier League winners. “He deserved this. He’s a legend of this club, not just this club but one of the best defenders in the world.”

Thousands of pounds were won in wagers predicting the exact minute of Terry’s substitution in that game, something that led the FA’s Integrity Department to investigate.

Shortly before the game, the editor of a Chelsea fa magazine had tweeted that Terry would be taken out after 26 minutes.

One bookmaker stated it had paid out on three bets, with one customer alleging he had been paid at 100-1 on a £25 ($33) stake.

The FA then requested the companies involved in the betting for information on wagers they received on Terry’s substitution.

However, the FA concluded there was no case to respond to after finding no evidence of inside information provided to gamblers regarding betting patterns. The association also found no proof of deliberate attempts at so-called spot-fixing.

Sunderland manager David Moyes stated his already-relegated team agreed to let the ball out in the 26th minute to allow the substitution during the English club’s 5-1 loss.

BBC Sport pundit Alan Shearer stated he was still skeptical that there were betting practices involved.

Fellow BBC pundit Garth Crooks also criticized the fact that Terry’s substitution was arranged to take place in such a specific minute.

“This has obviously been set up,” said Crooks. “I’m a bit uncomfortable with it.”

Chelsea gave a similar send-off to former forward Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast in his own final game with the Blues, which also came against Sunderland.

Drogba was carried off the field by teammates midway through the first half.

In other regulations-related news, sources say the FA will conduct more than 5,000 drug tests by the end of the 2017-18 season, which is up from 3,300 last season and double the amount conducted in 2015-16.

The association believes it spends more on anti-doping measures than any other major sports governing body in the UK and more than any other national football association. Last season, there were only two anti-doping rules violations in English soccer, both for in-competition consumption of social drugs.

Manchester City were fined £35,000 ($46,000) — which is believed to be the maximum sanction possible under the current guidelines — after three rules violations in six months.

LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 15: John Terry of Chelsea shows appreciation to the fans after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Watford at Stamford Bridge on May 15, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)