Sheffield Wednesday’s ex-Italy Under-21 international Fernando Forestieri has been found guilty of racially abusing an opponent.
Forestieri was due to appear at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court in December, having been charged with ‘using threatening words and behaviour’, as well as ‘racially aggravated harassment’.
Sheffield Wednesday’s ex-Italy Under-21 international Fernando Forestieri has been found guilty of racially abusing an opponent.
Forestieri was due to appear at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court in December, having been charged with ‘using threatening words and behaviour’, as well as ‘racially aggravated harassment’.
The 29-year-old did not attend the hearing and a warrant without bail was issued in his absence, although he was later cleared of the charges.
However, it was confirmed on Thursday that he had been charged with using racist language by the English FA.
The forward has until June 14 to respond to the charge.
The offences took place after his club’s friendly against Mansfield Town last July, for which he had already been given a three-match ban and £25,000 [€27,740] fine.
“No, I never said that, I'm not like that,” he said during a court appearance in March.
“I was very sad because I’m not a racist. The first rule in football is to respect your colleagues.”
Forestieri was born in Argentina but represented Italy at several youth levels and played for the likes of Genoa, Udinese and Empoli, before moving to Watford in 2013.
Nicknamed ‘Fessi’ by Hornets fans for his likeness to Lionel Messi, he then joined Wednesday two years later.