John Terry snubs FA chairman David Bernstein at Champions League trophy hand over

Bernstein was behind the Chelsea defender being stripped of the England captaincy

Simon Rice
Friday 19 April 2013 17:48 BST
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John Terry at an event to hand over the Champions League trophy
John Terry at an event to hand over the Champions League trophy (GETTY IMAGES)

What is it with John Terry and handshakes?

After a season in which Terry has uncharacteristically faded into the background, the Chelsea captain ensured he was right back at the centre of attention today with a simple refusal to shake the hand of FA chairman David Bernstein.

Of course, Terry has history when it comes to handshakes. Amid revelations of an alleged affair with Vanessa Perroncel, Wayne Bridge, the father of Perroncel's child, refused to shake the Chelsea captain's hand.

Then last year, the Premier League cancelled the pre-match handshakes between Chelsea and QPR amid the fall-out of Terry's racism case against Anton Ferdinand.

And today, Terry was again involved in hand-shake related controversy after he refused the hand of Bernstein.

The pair were at an event to see Chelsea hand over the Champions League trophy ahead of next month's final at Wembley. After the event, Terry confirmed to Sky Sports that he had snubbed the hand of the man who stripped him of the England captaincy. Bernstein made the decision to take the armband away in February last year while Terry awaited trial on charges of racially abusing Ferdinand in a match in October 2011.

Bernstein advised Terry that he had been removed as captain during a phone call in early February 2012, just days after it was confirmed Terry would stand trial in July of that year.

Terry is also unhappy with Bernstein's role in his court case later that year where he was cleared of a racism offence though later banned for four matches by the FA.

Terry said: "It's a difficult one for me - he went and spoke about me in the court case."

Asked if he shook Bernstein's hand, Terry replied: "No."

Bernstein insisted he was unaware of the Chelsea player's snub when quizzed on the matter by Sky Sports News.

"I didn't notice anything," said Bernstein, who will stand down from his role in July.

"My relationships with everyone here are really fantastic. I didn't notice a thing and I think we should talk about more positive things than that sort of nonsense."

Asked about his relationship with Terry, Bernstein admitted they were "a little distant" but seemed cool on making any attempt to build bridges when asked if there was any hope reconciliation.

"I don't know," he said. "I'm not really terribly concerned.

"I have other things to think about. In my last three months, I have other priorities."

Watch Wayne Bridge snub the hand of John Terry...

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