Rio Unfazed by Racism Storm

Rio Ferdinand insists his England team-mates have not considered what they would do if they were subjected to the same racist abuse on Wednesday that they encountered on their last visit to Spain four years ago. Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ashley Cole, both members of the present England squad, bore the brunt of the abuse last time around.

The Football Association made strong complaints immediately after the game and are believed to have privately informed their Spanish counterparts they would have been uncomfortable with Wednesday’s game being played at the Bernabeu Stadium.

Instead, the contest will take place in Seville in the hope it does not get overshadowed by off-field matters.

As one of the most articulate voices in the England camp, Ferdinand would have been the perfect platform from which the players could express their concerns. Instead, the Manchester United defender claimed minds were purely focussed on the not inconsiderable task of beating the Euro 2008 winners rather than what the Spanish fans might do.

"It doesn’t really faze me," he said. "As players, we are there to play football. Whatever the sideshow is, it is in the back, not in the forefront of our minds."