Ferdinand could lose sponsors - lawyer

A leading sports lawyer has claimed that Rio Ferdinand faces the loss of several key sponsors as a result of his eight-month drugs ban.

Ferdinand, who has pledged to appeal against the suspension imposed on him last Friday, has key deals with sportswear giant Nike and top clothing brand Ben Sherman.

Nike have previously stated their intention to stand by the £29.3m (€41.7m) star but Goldberg feels sponsors will now be looking closely at the small print of their contracts with the player following Ferdinand’s failure to take a drug test at Manchester United’s Carrington training ground on September 23.

“Most sponsorship deals have clauses in them relating to good behaviour and companies have the right to terminate them in the event of bad behaviour,” he told BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme.

“If the ban is upheld Rio is not going to be a lot of use to sponsors for the eight months he will be out.

“People like Wes Brown will be fighting for his place in the Manchester United side and John Terry will be hoping to get into the England squad.

“Under those circumstances, Rio’s sponsors are going to be looking at their contracts very carefully.”

The punishment imposed on Ferdinand has divided the sporting world. The defender’s former West Ham manager Harry Redknapp has again expressed surprise at the length of the suspension while others point to the automatic two-year ban the 25-year-old would have received if he had been an Olympic athlete as evidence he has got off lightly.

It has also led to a widening of the rift between United and the Football Association, which will not be helped by Alex Ferguson’s claims that the Old Trafford outfit would be prepared to take the matter to court should the appeal not prove successful.

Yet Goldberg believes such aggressive posturing has not helped Ferdinand.

Rather than go to war on the Londoner’s behalf, he thinks a touch of humility might have brought a more favourable outcome.

“I can understand where Manchester United are coming from,” he admitted.

“This is a player they purchased for £30m (€43m) – he is the most expensive defender in the world.

“Rio has had the best legal advice he could get but they might have got a better result if they had held their hands up to Rio forgetting to take the test, apologised and said they would accept whatever sentence was imposed.

“They haven’t done that. Instead United have adopted bullying tactics but sometimes, when your client is not doing well, the best defence is to hold your hands up and say sorry.”

Ferguson in particular has held a long-standing grievance against the FA since 1996 when the Scot claims domestic football’s governing body went back on an agreement not to increase the four-month ban United imposed on Eric Cantona when he launched himself into the crowd at Selhurst Park.

The Scot has been involved in a number of confrontations with the FA since then, most recently in accusing the organisation of ’doing a deal’ with Arsenal over the penalties imposed for the after-match fracas at Old Trafford in September.

Ferguson subsequently admitted that allegation was incorrect but simmering resentment within the United camp lingers and Ferdinand now seems set to pursue any appeal into the civil legal system if the second verdict is deemed unreasonable.

However, Goldberg has issued a grim warning to Ferdinand and his club.

“Rio must remember the ban is not as harsh as it could have been,” he said.

“In most other sports, he would have been suspended for two years. If he appeals, he has to show certain factors were overlooked. He should also be aware the sentence can be increased. It has happened in other cases and it’s possible in this one too.”