Sheffield Wednesday striker Fernando Forestieri says he is "disappointed" and will appeal a decision to impose a six-match ban after he was found guilty of a racism charge.
The English FA said the Italian used racist language in their pre-season friendly against Mansfield Town last summer and he has been fined over €27,000 (£25,000).
He had been part of the Watford side that clinched promotion to the Premier League in 2015, however, he was sold to Sheffield Wednesday for a fee believed to be around €3.2 million (£3 million).
In a statement on the club's website, the Argentinian-born forward said:
I am devastated and disappointed with the decision of the Regulatory Commission that has been published earlier today by the FA.
I have now been the subject of allegations of racism for over a year and it has been an extremely stressful time for both me personally and also my family in both England and Argentina.
Throughout that period of time, throughout both the criminal proceedings and the FA’s disciplinary proceedings, I have consistently and strenuously denied the allegations that have been made against me.
Whilst I was shocked and saddened to face criminal charges regarding this matter, I was equally happy to be found not guilty of those charges in March 2019 by the Criminal Court and considered that to be the end of a very distressing time. As I said at the time, I felt vindicated by the decision of the judge.
To discover I would then have to face an FA charge was devastating. But I truly believed that these erroneous allegations would be dismissed and my good name upheld.
I am therefore extremely disappointed, shocked and saddened that the Regulatory Commission found The FA’s charge proven, despite having been acquitted before the Criminal Court and in respect of an act that I would find abhorrent if I witnessed it in any walk of life.
I am not and never will be a person or a footballer who says offensive things by reference to race to my colleagues or other players, either on or off the pitch. My mother taught me how to respect others and how important that is.
The decision today, therefore, goes against everything about the person I am and the person I was brought up to be. It is absolutely no comfort to me that, when charging me with misconduct, The FA were very clear that they did not consider me to be racist but instead believed that I had acted in the ‘heat of the moment’.
To be prevented from playing the game of football, which I love, for six matches is a major matter in my life, but it is insignificant compared to the wider implications of the decision and the unjustified stain that it places on my character.
Consequently, having reflected upon the Written Reasons of the Regulatory Commission with my legal representatives, I have decided to exercise my right of appeal.
I will not make any further comment pending the conclusion of those appeal proceedings.
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