Chelsea and England captain John Terry will face a trial of racial abuse charges on the week of July 9.
The 31-year-old, who was not present at Westminster Magistrates' Court today, pleaded not guilty to racially abusing Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea's Premier League match against Queens Park Rangers in October.
The remainder of the hearing was filled with lengthy discussions over the potential date of the trial.
The judge was keen on setting a March hearing for the case as Terry and Ferdinand are the only individuals concerned in the charges. However, Chelsea pushed for a later date in order to avoid difficulties concerning match fixtures.
A statement from Terry's lawyers read: "Mr Terry has resolutely maintained that his well publicised remarks were made in the belief that he was being accused of racist abuse by Mr Ferdinand.
"Mr Terry was shocked and disgusted by that accusation at the time. Mr Terry denies making any racist statement and has never racially abused another player in his entire life."
A decision was made to adjourn the trial until Monday, July 9, which follows the European Championships, during which Terry is likely to captain.
Danielle Joynson
