Reds and Blues
In the red corner is Liverpool whose Uruguayan striker - Luis Suarez - has been found guilty of using racist and inappropriate against a fellow player - Patrice Evra - the Manchester United player.
The verdict was delivered by an independent panel - comprised of three people - and the FA handed down a £40,000 fine and an eight match ban.
The player seems likely to appeal - with the full backing of his club - but at this stage it is unclear whether the appeal would be about the severity of his punishment - or the decision to find him culpable in the first place.
The incident seems to have involved a 'running battle' between the two players during a game - which is not unusual.
Both players appear to have used and to have behaved badly - but Luis Suarez was presumably found to have overstepped the mark by using offensive racial insults - which he has sought to explain away - by reference to his background, first language (Spanish) and culture.
Nonetheless the FA disciplinary panel found him guilty - although they have not released the reasons on which their decision as based - so the furore continues.
In the blue corner is Chelsea and their club captain - John Terry - who is also captain of England.
John Terry was investigated by the police for using alleged racist language on the field of play - against another player - Anton Ferdinand - the brother of Rio Ferdinand - a former England captain.
John Terry vehemently denies the charges - but the case will now be tried in a magistrates court on 1 February 2012.
If Terry pleads not guilty at that preliminary stage - as seems likely - the case is bound to drag on for months and may well impact on the England team's preparations for Euro 2012.
I can't see how John Terry can continue as England captain.
Because it's an honorary position which requires him to command the support and respect of other players from a wide range of different clubs - and to be seen to be a role model for the game in general.
Standing down would not be an admission of guilt - just an acceptance that present circumstances prevent him from carrying out the captain's role to the best of his ability.
So the whole thing has blown up in quite an extraordinary way - with the FA now trying to balance its commitment to kicking racism out of football - while trying to be fair to the two players and their clubs.
