Sheffield Wednesday forward Fernando Forestieri charged with racist abuse by FA

The incident occurred during a pre-season friendly last summer

Sheffield Wednesday forward Fernando Forestieri has been charged by the Football Association for using racist language during a pre-season friendly against Mansfield Town last summer.

The 29-year-old was acquitted in March at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court of racially abusing Krystian Pearce before a brawl broke out on the pitch.

However, the FA has charged the Italian with ”allegedly using abusive and/or insulting words including reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race”.

Foristieri has until June 14 to respond to the charge.

Forestieri had already been served with a three-game ban for misconduct and fined £25,000 for his role in the following melee.

An FA statement read: “Sheffield Wednesday FC player Fernando Forestieri has today been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3. It is alleged that words he used during a friendly fixture against Mansfield Town FC on 24 July 2018 breached Rule E3[1] as they were abusive and/or insulting.

“It is further alleged that the words constituted an ‘aggravated breach’, which is defined in Rule E3[2], as they included reference to ethnic origin and/or colour and/or race.”

When giving evidence in court in March, Forestieri denied using any racist terms, swearing “on his son’s life” that he had not made a racially charged comment at Pearce and pleaded not guilty to racially aggravated harassment and use of threatening words and behaviour.

Forestieri is alleged to have racially abused Krystian Pearce (Getty)

“No, I never said that, I’m not like that,” he said. “I was very sad because I’m not a racist. The first rule in football is to respect your colleagues.”

He instead told the judge he’d used a Spanish phrase insulting Pearce’s mother.

John Terry was also cleared of the same charge by Westminster Magistrates’ Court in 2012, before subsequently being charged by the FA, banned for four matches and fined £220,000 for racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.