Nicolas Anelka has been handed a 5-match suspension and fined £80,000 by his club, West Bromwich Albion, for his controversial quenelle gesture during a match against West Ham on December 28. The gesture, associated with the French comedian Dieudonné and deemed by many as anti-Semitic, sparked widespread controversy and led to Anelka’s disciplinary hearing with the FA.
Anelka maintained his innocence throughout the process, arguing that his gesture was not intended to be anti-Semitic. He cited the opinion of an expert hired by the English Football Association, who concluded that the quenelle had an anti-Semitic connotation. Anelka suggested that a French expert, such as Mr. Cukierman, president of CRIF, would have been more appropriate to evaluate the gesture.
Despite Anelka’s defense, the FA imposed the suspension and fine, reflecting the seriousness with which they viewed the incident and its potential implications.
