Jose Mourinho: "I am certain John Terry is not a racist"

Jose Mourinho has expressed his certainty that John Terry is not a racist.

The current Real Madrid boss worked alongside Terry during his three-year stint in charge of Chelsea up until 2007.

In a character reference read out at Westminster Magistrates' Court, where the Chelsea skipper stands accused of racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand, Mourinho insisted that he had never heard Terry use any racist language.

"I can say with first hand experience, [that Terry] was a first rate conduit between players and staff," read the statement. "[He had] an excellent relationship with teammates regardless of ethnicity and race.

"I am certain John Terry is not a racist."

A large number of Terry's teammates also had statements read out in court this afternoon in support of their captain.