Updated

The Football Association announced on Monday that Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has been charged with improper conduct over comments he posted on Twitter following the John Terry racism trial.

Terry was acquitted of racially abusing Ferdinand's brother, Anton, and the United defender now finds himself in trouble with the FA after he called Chelsea defender Ashley Cole, who was a defense witness in the trial, a 'choc- ice'.

The term is understood to mean 'black on the outside, white on the inside', and it refers to Cole's testimony in court in which he said that he never heard Terry make a racist comment to Ferdinand in a game between Chelsea and QPR in October.

"The FA has today charged Manchester United's Rio Ferdinand with improper conduct in relation to comments posted on Twitter," said an FA statement.

"The allegation is that the player acted in a way which was improper and/or brought the game into disrepute by making comments which included a reference to ethnic origin and/or color and/or race."

Terry is still facing a charge from the FA over the incident, while Ferdinand has until Thursday to respond to his charge.