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.
Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook
View Comments
One can only hope that any ban will be in force this season, so that we will not have to see him playing for Rangers again.