UK: Footballers charged by FA over support for antisemitic quenelle

The two voiced support for the quenelle after the FA decided it's an antisemitic gesture.

Benoît Assou-Ekotto and Yannick Sagbo are facing bans for tweeting their support for Nicolas Anelka’s quenelle goal celebration. 

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Manchester City midfielder Samir Nasri and Liverpool defender Mamadou Sahko escaped with a rap on the knuckles for being photographed performing the quenelle gesture itself prior to Anelka using it to celebrate a goal in West Bromwich Albion’s Premier League game at West Ham United on December 28. 

But Assou-Ekotto, on loan at QPR from Tottenham Hotspur, and Sagbo were both charged with improper conduct for postings made on Twitter in the wake of Anelka’s celebration. 

With Anelka having been found guilty of an anti-Semitic act just over a month ago – something which saw him banned for five matches and his West Brom contract terminated – the FA was free to pursue others caught up in the *quenelle* scandal. 

They included Assou-Ekotto, who tweeted in French in response to Anelka’s celebration: “I congratulate you on the beautiful quenelle.” 

Sagbo tweeted a picture of the celebration alongside the word: “Legend.”

More: Daily Telegraph