Rio Ferdinand Charged by FA: Latest Details, Comments and Reaction

Latest Update from Wednesday, Oct. 29

Bryan Swanson of Sky Sports reported the punishment for Rio Ferdinand following his charge:

Prior Updates

Original Article from Tuesday, Oct. 14

Queens Park Rangers defender and former England international Rio Ferdinand has officially been charged with misconduct by the Football Association for a comment he posted on Twitter, deemed "indecent or improper."    

AFP's Tom Williams first broke the story Tuesday:

The FA released a short statement on its website, clarifying the decision:

"

It is alleged the comment posted on his twitter account was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper. It is further alleged that this breach is aggravated pursuant to FA Rule E3(2) as it included a reference to gender.

The player has until Tuesday 21 October 2014 to respond to the charge.

"

The FA refused to specify which comment Ferdinand is being charged for. According to The Associated Press' Rob Harris, the tweet in question is one he made in September:

The 35-year-old centre-back is one of the more vocal Premier League players when it comes to social media, widely hailed for being one of the few top players who understands how the system works.

He frequently engages fans and YouTube personalities, and ESPN FC's John Brewin clearly isn't happy with the FA's decision to punish him for it:

While the majority of fans and pundits immediately voiced their disapproval of the FA's decision, this latest incident presents yet another example of why footballers have to be careful with what they share on social media.

Ferdinand will likely face a fine for his comments, though any official decision remains to be seen.