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The footballer denied the charge but the FA independent regulatory commission ruled that he was guilty of misconduct during Chelsea's defeat at QPR on October 23 last year.

The FA's guilty verdict came despite the 31-year-old being cleared by a criminal court in July of a racially aggravated public order offence.

The Chelsea defender's representatives, Elite Management, said Terry is "disappointed" by the guilty verdict, which was "a different conclusion to the clear not guilty verdict of a court of law".

He will ask for detailed written reasons of the decision before deciding whether to lodge an appeal, the management company added.

Before his FA hearing started this week, Terry announced his retirement from international football.

Handing down the guilty verdict, the FA released a statement saying:

"The Football Association charged Mr Terry on Friday 27 July 2012 with using abusive and/or insulting words and/or behaviour towards Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand and which included a reference to colour and/or race contrary to FA Rule E3[2] in relation to the Queens Park Rangers FC versus Chelsea FC fixture at Loftus Road on 23 October 2011.

"The charge was the result of The FA's long-standing investigation into this matter, which was placed on hold at the request of the Crown Prosecution Service and Mr Terry's representatives pending the outcome of the criminal trial.

"The decision of the Independent Regulatory Commission is as follows: Mr Terry be suspended from all domestic club football until such time as Chelsea's First Team have completed four competitive matches; [he is] fined the sum of £220,000."

The penalty is suspended until after the outcome of any appeal.

The case centred around an incident during a Chelsea QPR match last year when Terry and Ferdinand clashed verbally on a number of occasions.

Terry was found not guilty in Westminster Magistrates Court in July of a racially-aggravated public order offence with the prosecution unable to prove the words he said to Ferdinand were being used as an insult.

Terry admitted using the words, but insisted he had only been repeating words he thought Ferdinand had accused him of saying.

Chelsea and England team-mate Ashley Cole gave evidence that helped exonerate Terry, telling the court: "We shouldn't be sitting here".

The FA's decision to press ahead with their own charges infuriated Terry to the extent that on the eve of the disciplinary hearing he announced he was quitting international football with immediate effect, saying his position was "untenable".

Terry's legal team had argued the governing body's own rules dictated that his acquittal in court meant the case could not proceed but the FA believed their charge was distinct from the court charge.

The panel who handed Liverpool striker Luis Suarez an eight-match ban when they found him guilty of racially abusing Manchester United defender Patrice Evra last season declared at that time that simply using racist language was enough to constitute a breach of FA rules.

Chelsea issued a statement that refused to condemn the FA's verdict.

It said: "Chelsea Football Club notes and respects today's decision by the Football Association regarding John Terry.

"We also recognise that John has the right to appeal that decision.

"It is therefore inappropriate for us to comment further on the matter at this time."