The independent Football Association regulatory commission said there were discrepancies in Cole’s initial statement to FA interviewers of what he heard Anton Ferdinand say to Terry compared to a later statement.

Cole responded on his official Twitter account saying: “Hahahahaa, well done £fa I lied did I, £BUNCHOFT****”.“

It was re-tweeted more than 19,000 times before he deleted it.

In a statement released this afternoon, Cole said: “I had just finished training and saw the captions on the TV screens in the treatment rooms about what was said in the FA Commission ruling about me.

“I was really upset and tweeted my feelings in the heat of the moment. I apologise unreservedly for my comment about the FA.”