Man United star Rio hit with 45,000 fine from FA over Cole 'choc-ice' tweet

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UPDATED:

12:43 GMT, 17 August 2012

WHY RIO WAS FINED…

Click here to read the FA's commission's report on Manchester United defender Ferdinand

Rio Ferdinand has managed to escape a match ban but the Manchester United defender has been hit with a 45,000 fine by the Football Association for his crass tweet aimed at Ashley Cole.

The England international was charged with improper conduct by the FA after he acknowledged a comment on Twitter that referred to the Chelsea defender as a 'choc-ice'.

Sportsmail revealed on Wednesday that Ferdinand – who denied the charge – attended a secret hearing in London last Friday.

Waiting game: Rio Ferdinand (left) is set to discover if he will be punished by the FA

The FA said in a statement: 'Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand has been fined 45,000 after an independent regulatory commission found proven a charge of improper conduct in relation to a comment posted on Twitter.

'The commission decided that the comment was improper and brought the game into disrepute. In addition, the commission found that the breach included a reference to ethnic origin, colour or race.'

Ferdinand's former England team-mate
Cole appeared as a witness for John Terry when the Chelsea defender
appeared in court during the summer charged with making racist comments
to the United man's younger brother Anton.

Evidence: Ashley Cole (right) was called to testify at John Terry's trial

Terry was cleared of the charges but
soon after Ferdinand Snr appeared to endorse a tweet describing Cole as a
'choc ice, a slang term perceived as meaning black on the outside and
white on the inside.

Ferdinand tweeted: 'I hear you fella! Choc ice is classic hahahahahaha!!'

Users began discussing the comments and reacting to them and Ferdinand wrote: 'And if I want to laugh at something someone tweets….I will! Hahahahaha! Now stop getting ya knickers in a twist!'