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Anelka handed £80,000 fine and ban for quenelle

By on February 27, 2014

Nicolas Anelka has gotten away cheaply over his quenelle gesture after The English FA punished him with the most lenient charges possible in an £80,000 fine and five match ban.  Under The FA’s new anti-discrimination rules Anelka’s quenelle goal celebration, which has reported ties to anti-semitic meanings, the fine and ban are the minimum charges, despite the fact that a three-man panel in charge of deciding the punishment “did not find that Nicolas Anelka is an antisemite or that he intended to express or promote antisemitism by his use of the quenelle“.

It is not known yet whether Anelka will appeal, but a statement on West Bromwich Albion’s official website acknowledged that charges.  The statement read: “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.

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.