LONDON — Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand was charged by the Football Association on Monday with improper conduct for comments about Chelsea rival Ashley Cole in a twist to the fallout from John Terry's racism trial.

Terry was cleared in court of racially abusing Ferdinand's brother, Queens Park Rangers defender Anton, while playing for Chelsea in a Premier League match last October.

Cole, who is black like the Ferdinands, appeared in court as a defense witness earlier this month. A day after the verdict, Rio Ferdinand 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!!"

Ferdinand later tweeted that it was "not a racist term. It's a type of slang/term used by many for someone who is being fake."