FA studying Rio appeal

The Football Association have today revealed details of the 121-page Rio Ferdinand appeal document they received from Manchester United yesterday.

A statement on the organisation’s official website, www.theFA.com, read: “Following various media reports today, The FA wish to clarify the nature of the appeal documents relating to Rio Ferdinand received yesterday.

“The 121 pages are made up of 96 pages of appendices; 24 pages are the notice of appeal itself; one page consists of a covering letter.

“Every single document will be studied in detail over the coming days.

“Manchester United’s appeal was received at the end of the 14 days they had had to respond to the Disciplinary Commission’s decision and reasons.

“The FA have 21 days from yesterday to respond to the appeal.”

Ferdinand, who yesterday appealed against both the guilty verdict and length of the punishment after failing to take a drug test at United’s training ground on September 23, officially started his eight-month ban for missing a drugs test today.

But it seems a conclusion to the long-running saga is still some way off, even though the 25-year-old England defender has agreed to start his ban today.

However, despite beginning his suspension as planned, the 25-year-old and his legal team hope a reduction in his punishment on appeal would allow him to play in this summer’s European Championships.

However, any hope that the case, whose length has already attracted the ire of FIFA president Sepp Blatter, will be concluded swiftly appears well wide of the mark.

In all likelihood, the FA will require the full three weeks just to analyse the counter-claims United have made and with a suitable hearing date then to be agreed between both sides’ legal teams and the non-FA aligned QC who will chair the new panel, it could be the end of February before Ferdinand learns his fate.