Nicolas Anelka has once again found himself in the spotlight as he was charged by the English Football Association (FA) on Tuesday, January 21, for making a “quenelle” gesture. This gesture, associated with anti-Semitism since the Dieudonné affair, has led to serious consequences, including the possibility of a significant suspension for the footballer.
In response to the FA’s decision to prosecute him, the West Bromwich Albion striker took to his Facebook page the next day, urging the association to drop the charges. Anelka argued that the expert hired by the English Football Association to assess the meaning of his quenelle should have been French, residing in France, and possessing precise knowledge of his actions. He suggested that Mr. Cukierman, president of CRIF (Representative Council of Jewish Institutions of France), would be an ideal expert. Cukierman, according to Anelka, had clearly stated that his quenelle did not carry an anti-Semitic connotation and explained the circumstances in which such a gesture could be deemed offensive. Anelka emphatically declared his non-anti-Semitic and non-racist stance while requesting the removal of charges against him from the English Federation.
