But if Anelka is still found guilty after the appeal, the ban could be doubled.
Provocative: Nicolas Anelka performs his quenelle gesture after scoring against West Ham in December
Protestations: Anelka has professed his innocence on Facebook and is now denying the FA charge
Numbers game: Anelka faces a minimum five-game ban - but that could yet be doubled
MARTIN SAMUEL'S DEBATE
'The striker has requested a personal hearing. The club will make no further comment until The FA’s disciplinary process has reached a conclusion.'
As the player has just 16 games in which he can feature for West Brom between now and the end of the season, a 10-match ban could lead to West Brom seeking to cancel his contract for gross misconduct — or pay it up early — as he would be little use to head coach Pepe Mel in the fight to avoid relegation.
At the age of 34 and with just two goals to his name this season, it is highly unlikely he will be offered another deal elsewhere in the Premier League.
Anelka earlier pointed to comments made by a Jewish group in France that the quenelle could not be regarded as anti-Semitic in the context in which it was made. But later the same group clarified its stance, leaving Anelka looking increasingly isolated.
Playing with fire: If Anelka ends up with a 10 game ban then West Brom could choose to terminate his deal
Roger Cukierman, president of the Council of Jewish Institutions in France, said: ‘It (the charge) seems severe to me because this gesture only has an anti-Semitic connotation if the gesture is made in front of a synagogue or memorial to the Holocaust.
‘When it is made in a place that is not specifically Jewish it seems to me that it is a slightly anarchic gesture of revolt against the establishment.’
Anelka has highlighted Cukierman’s words on Facebook, saying: ‘I therefore ask the English FA to kindly remove the charge made against me. And I repeat: I am not anti-Semitic or racist.’
Cukierman was then asked to confirm his stance in a later interview but said the gesture was initially conceived as anti-Semitic and that the player’s sympathy for it was ‘clearly suspect’.
French comedian Dieudonne M’Bala M’Bala, who originated the quenelle gesture, has been questioned by police after bailiffs alleged they were fired on with rubber bullets at his house west of Paris.
Salute: The 'quenelle' gesture originated from Anelka's friend, the French comedian Dieudonne M'Bala M'Bala
Distanced: West Brom sponsors Zoopla have decided not to extend their deal at the end of the season
Meanwhile, two more of West Brom’s commercial partners may follow the example of sponsors Zoopla - a property website and part of the Zoopla Property Group Ltd, a privately held company whose shareholders include DMG Media, a division of DMGT plc, the company which owns the Daily Mail and MailOnline - who officially ended their two-year deal. German clothing company Jack Wolfskin and Holler Watches are both monitoring the situation.
A statement issued by Jack Wolfskin read: ‘We consider the charges as serious and strongly disapprove of any gestures or statements which are meant to discriminate a single person or certain group of people.
‘We are now awaiting the judgement of the Football Association before taking further steps. Depending on what West Brom say... we would consider ending our sponsorship as one option.’
HOW WE LED THE WAY ON THE SCANDAL
December 28, 2013
After scoring in West Brom’s 3-3 draw at West Ham, striker Nicolas Anelka celebrates by making the quenelle — an inverted Nazi salute created by his friend, controversial French comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala — which has anti-Semitic connotations.
The gesture is relatively unknown in the UK but there is an angry reaction in France with the country’s sports minister calling Anelka’s actions ‘disgusting’.
Headline: Martin Samuel called for Anelka to be kicked out for the gesture
Anelka says on Twitter: ‘I am neither racist nor anti-Semitic. The meaning of quenelle is anti-system. I do not know what religion has to do with this story. With regard to the ministers who give their own interpretations of my quenelle, they are the ones that create confusion.’
December 30
The FA begins investigating the incident while Sportsmail’s Martin Samuel calls for Anelka to be banned for knowingly bringing an anti-Semitic gesture to a wider audience.
January 10, 2014
The FA reveal that they are working with an ‘appointed expert’ as part of their investigations into Anelka’s quenelle. But the delay in making a decision is widely criticised.
January 17
West Brom’s shirt sponsors Zoopla threaten to end their £3million deal unless Anelka is axed. They say they will remove the Zoopla name from the home shirts if he is picked for the next match.
January 20
Just hours before Monday’s kick-off against Everton, Zoopla, who have sponsored West Brom since 2012, announce that they will not renew their deal with the club at the end of the season as a result of Anelka’s gesture.
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