West Brom Striker, Nicolas Anelka, has been handed a five match ban and fined a cash sum of £80,000($133,368) by the disciplinary committee of the English Football Association for his controversial 'quenelle' gesture after he scored against West Ham in December.
According to the FA, the former Chelsea man is guilty of making a gesture that was 'abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper', a breach of their rule E3 after scoring one of his two goals in his teams 3-3 Premier League draw against West Ham at Upton Park on December 28, 2013.
The FA stated: "An independent regulatory commission has found an aggravated breach of FA rule E3 against Nicolas Anelka proven and has issued a five-match suspension and a fine of £80,000, pending appeal."
The 34 year old striker has the right to appeal the decision within seven days, while the FA will be puts his punishment onhold pending when it receives a written notification on Anelka's decision to appeal or not.
"There is a right of appeal against this decision in accordance with FA regulations. Written reasons within the meaning of FA Disciplinary Regulation 9.3 will follow within seven days of the date of this written statement.
"We order a stay of the five-match suspension pursuant to Regulation 8.11 of the Disciplinary Regulations until the expiry of seven-day period from receipt of our written reasons in which Mr Anelka has right of appeal against this decision, if no appeal is lodged during that period, or written notification to The FA of any decision by Mr Anelka not to appeal, if served prior to the expiry of period for appealing, or
"The outcome of any appeal lodged by Mr Anelka against this decision, if an appeal is lodged during the period for appealing." the statement said.
Although the FA disclosed that Anelka was not deliberately anti-Semitic by his use of the quenelle, it did not affect their verdict and he was subjected to take and complete a compulsory educational programme.
Meanwhile, West brom in a statement has suspended the former France international following the outcome of the hearing pending the conclusion of the process, stating that the club cannot ignore the extent of the damage of Anelka's action.
It said: "West Bromwich Albion treats very seriously any such allegation which includes any reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion and/or belief. Upon both charges being proven, the Club has suspended Nicolas Anelka pending the conclusion of the FA’s disciplinary process and the Club's own internal investigation.
"The Club acknowledges that the FA panel 'did not find that Nicolas Anelka is an anti-Semite or that he intended to express or promote anti-Semitism by his use of the quenelle'. However, the Club cannot ignore the offence that his actions have caused, particularly to the Jewish community, nor the potential damage to the Club's reputation."
The quenelle, described as an inverted Nazi salute, has been popularised by French comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, a friend of Anelka's and who has been prosecuted in France for various racial offences and was recently banned from entering the United Kingdom.
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