Rio Ferdinand’s choice – choice being the key word here – not to wear a shirt that would have rid the world of racism will have repercussions. Because people, generally, are idiots.
Via Yahoo Sport:
The Sun even claims on Sunday that Ferdinand’s decision to so publicly go against his manager’s wishes could have repercussions for his career at Old Trafford. According to the tabloid: “The England defender will be fined two weeks’ wages of £220,000 with his Manchester United future in doubt.”
This is the Sun, so don’t run to the hills just yet, but on merit alone Ferdinand should probably lose his place in the lineup. The shirt controversy could act as the perfect cover for the United braintrust. Wouldn’t it be nice if they actually said that?
If this does come to pass, it will simply be a nice cover-story to get rid of an increasingly less effective player. The club gets away with moving out an aging fixture without seeming cut-throat, the player gets to save face (getting kicked out for this kind of stance is a preferrable story to simply being pushed out into the ice flow), and both parties may benefit from maintaining increased transfer viability if Rio wants to keep playing.