Chelsea's John Terry reacted to a taunt by Anton Ferdinand when he allegedly racially abused the QPR man last year.
The Blues captain's trial for racially aggravated public order offence started today with the Westminster Magistrates' Court hearing that there was swearing and racial abuse directed at Ferdinand during a match at Loftus Road on October 23.
It has been suggested that Terry only reacted to a taunt from Ferdinand which came in regard to his extra-marital relations with a former teammates ex-girlfriend.
"The Crown alleges that the defendant, most probably in response to physical gestures being made by Mr Ferdinand which the defendant understood to refer to the well-publicised allegation of an extra-marital affair with a team-mate's wife, shouted at Mr Ferdinand," said Duncan Penny who opened the prosecution.
"The Crown's case is that the words were abusive and insulting in a straightforward sense...and they were uttered as an abusive insult demonstrating hostility based on Mr Ferdinand's membership of a racial group."
At the time, Ferdinand did not think anything too untoward had been said to him until his girlfriend showed him a clip on YouTube which allegedly shows Terry directing a racial slur at the R's centre-back.
"I would have been obviously very hurt and I probably wouldn't have reacted at the time because, being a professional, you can't do that," Ferdinand said when asked what would have happened if he heard any racist remarks from Terry.
"I probably would have let the officials know what happened and dealt with it after the game.
"When someone brings your colour into it, it takes it to another level and it's very hurtful."
