Assou-Ekotto could face an FA ban

Benoit Assou-Ekotto is facing a possible ban after being charged with improper conduct for social media posts relating to the ‘quenelle’ gesture.

The left-back, on loan at QPR from Tottenham, has until 8 April to respond to the Football Association charge.

The quenelle sign is described as an inverted Nazi salute and Nicolas Anelka was banned for five matches and fined £80,000 for using it after scoring against West Ham in December, and was later sacked by West Brom.

In a statement, the FA announced: “It is alleged that in each case the comment was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper…..and was an ‘Aggravated Breach’ as the comment included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief.”

Anelka denied his use of the sign was intended to be anti-Semitic, and an FA commission reported it did not find he was “an anti-Semite”.

The striker claimed he made the gesture in support of his friend Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, a French comedian who has been convicted seven times of anti-Semitic crimes.

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