" Ferdinand to fight ban"
Ferdinand devastated by ban
Manchester United´s Rio Ferdinand is to appeal against his eight-month ban for missing a drugs test.
In December, an independent tribunal found the England defender guilty of missing a drugs test in September.
If Ferdinand loses his appeal he will miss the rest of the season, including Euro 2004 in Portugal.
After the tribunal ended, United lawyer and lawyer Maurice Watkins said the punishment was " savage" and that it was inevitable the club would appeal.
As well as being banned for eight months, Ferdinand was fined £50,000 by the Football Association.
It could be the end of February or even the beginning of March before Ferdinand´s appeal is heard, allowing the defender to continue playing for United.
Since the punishment was announced, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has stood by the defender, regularly picking the England international for Premiership and FA Cup games.
United are unhappy that when Manchester City defender Christian Negouai committed a similar offence last year, he was only handed a £2,000 fine.
=>Rio va faire appel, malgré les menaces puisque certains veulent lui doubler sa peine s´il fait appel ^^