Month delay before Anelka hearing
theguardian
Nicolas Anelka's 'quenelle' FA hearing likely to be end of February
West Brom striker charged with aggravated offence
A 34-page document outlines the charge details
Nicolas Anelka's disciplinary hearing over his apparently antisemitic gesture is unlikely to take place until the end of February.
The West Brom striker has been charged by the FA with an aggravated offence following his quenelle goal celebration against West Ham on 28 December.
The 34-year-old has denied the charge and requested a personal hearing but that is not likely to be held for a month, according to sources close to the case.
The length of time the case has taken has already prompted criticism from anti-discrimination group Kick It Out, which has expressed its "frustration".
The Anelka case is comparable with the racist abuse charges that were brought against Liverpool's Luis Suárez and Chelsea's John Terry, and in both of those cases there was a space of several weeks between the players denying the charge and the hearing taking place.
That is expected to be a similar scenario with Anelka, who was presented with a 34-page document outlining the details of the charge this week.
The FA will appoint a three-person independent regulatory commission to hear the case and, as it has taken more than three weeks to bring the charge, Anelka's legal team will be allowed a similar length of time to construct his defence.
A further week to allow for administrative details to be organised, plus legal arguments between both sides' barristers, means that the end of February looks likely for the hearing.
On Wednesday, Anelka asked the FA to drop the charge, stating he was "neither antisemitic nor racist".
The former Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Liverpool forward faces a minimum five-match ban if the charge is proved, and probably longer. West Brom have asked Anelka not to repeat the celebration but will continue to select him for the team.
Anelka made the gesture, described by some as an inverted Nazi salute, after scoring in the 3-3 draw at Upton Park. The player has insisted it was purely as a show of support for the creator of the quenelle, his friend the controversial French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala who has been prosecuted for antisemitism.
Anelka has said the salute was "anti-establishment", rather than antisemitic.
West Brom striker charged with aggravated offence
A 34-page document outlines the charge details
Nicolas Anelka's disciplinary hearing over his apparently antisemitic gesture is unlikely to take place until the end of February.
The West Brom striker has been charged by the FA with an aggravated offence following his quenelle goal celebration against West Ham on 28 December.
The 34-year-old has denied the charge and requested a personal hearing but that is not likely to be held for a month, according to sources close to the case.
The length of time the case has taken has already prompted criticism from anti-discrimination group Kick It Out, which has expressed its "frustration".
The Anelka case is comparable with the racist abuse charges that were brought against Liverpool's Luis Suárez and Chelsea's John Terry, and in both of those cases there was a space of several weeks between the players denying the charge and the hearing taking place.
That is expected to be a similar scenario with Anelka, who was presented with a 34-page document outlining the details of the charge this week.
The FA will appoint a three-person independent regulatory commission to hear the case and, as it has taken more than three weeks to bring the charge, Anelka's legal team will be allowed a similar length of time to construct his defence.
A further week to allow for administrative details to be organised, plus legal arguments between both sides' barristers, means that the end of February looks likely for the hearing.
On Wednesday, Anelka asked the FA to drop the charge, stating he was "neither antisemitic nor racist".
The former Arsenal, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Liverpool forward faces a minimum five-match ban if the charge is proved, and probably longer. West Brom have asked Anelka not to repeat the celebration but will continue to select him for the team.
Anelka made the gesture, described by some as an inverted Nazi salute, after scoring in the 3-3 draw at Upton Park. The player has insisted it was purely as a show of support for the creator of the quenelle, his friend the controversial French comedian Dieudonné M'bala M'bala who has been prosecuted for antisemitism.
Anelka has said the salute was "anti-establishment", rather than antisemitic.
