WEST BROM STRIKER Nicolas Anelka has suggested that he will contest the Football Association charge over his controversial ‘quenelle’ gesture.
West Brom striker Anelka is facing a minimum five-match ban after the FA opted to act on the salute he performed when scoring in a 3-3 draw with West Ham last month.
The Frenchman has repeatedly denied his celebration held anti-Semitic connotations and he reinforced that point again in a message on his official Facebook page today, which appeared to suggest that he is ready to contest the FA’s decision.
Referring to a video that he had earlier posted on Twitter, in which prominent Jewish leader Roger Cukierman — president of the Representative Council of the Jewish Institutions of France and vice-president of the World Jewish Congress — argued that Anelka’s use of the ‘quenelle’ was not worthy of a hefty punishment, the 34-year-old requested for the charge against him to be dropped.
“I ask the English Federation to kindly remove the charges alleged against me. And I repeat, I am not anti-Semitic or racist,” said Anelka.
