John Terry’s attempted takeover of League Two side Colchester has fallen through.The former Chelsea and England captain had been in talks with the Essex-based club regarding a potential acquisition, but Colchester announced on Thursday that discussions had ended.“Both parties invested considerable time and effort into exploring the opportunity and would like to thank everyone involved for their professionalism and cooperation throughout the process,” a statement on the club website read.“Following an extended period of due diligence and discussions, the parties have agreed not to proceed with the transaction. The decision has been reached amicably and with mutual respect.”It is the second time that a proposed takeover has fallen through since owner and chairman Robbie Cowling put the club on the market in September 2025.Former Brazil international Alexandre Pato — who was briefly a team-mate of Terry’s at Chelsea — was part of a consortium, Sports Alpha Capital, which Colchester said they had “decided not to proceed” with the sale to in February.Terry, 45, retired from playing in 2018 after winning five Premier League titles and the 2012 Champions League with Chelsea over 19 seasons.He has since taken up a number of coaching positions — including with Aston Villa and Leicester City — and currently has a part-time mentoring role in the west-London club’s academy, which includes working with under-21 and under-18 players.Terry has never held a senior head coach role, and if his consortium had succeeded in taking Colchester over from Cowling, it would have been his first involvement in club ownership.Cowling announced last year he wanted to find a “long-term steward” for the League Two side to receive full debt-free ownership. Colchester escaped relegation from England’s fourth tier by three points in 2023-24 but have since clocked 10th and 12th-place finishes.Terry has been vocal in recent months about his desire to stay working in football. Following former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca’s departure in January, he told YouTube channel Golf Life he was “frustrated” not to form part of Calum McFarlane’s staff overseeing the first-team for January’s games against Manchester City and Fulham.In October, he also said his “dream” was to manage Chelsea and his managerial rejections have been “difficult to fathom”.Jun 11, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms