Two months after the West Bromwich Albion striker made the anti-Semitic ‘quenelle’ gesture after scoring against West Ham at Boleyn Ground, an Independent Regulatory Commission issued a five-match suspension for Anelka and posed a £80,000 fine. The Football Association have declared that they won’t contest the decision, yet the player hasn’t made a move.
However, the controversies behind the French athlete are far from over. On Friday Anelka posted three messages of his official Twitter account where he affirmed to have terminated his contract with West Brom.
“Following discussions between the club and myself, proposals have been made so that I would rejoin the group under certain conditions that I cannot accept. Wishing to keep my integrity, I took the decision to free myself and put an end to the contract linking me with West Bromwich Albion until 2014 from this moment,” read the messages written in French.
Suite aux entretiens entre le club et moi, des propositions m'ont été faîtes pour que je réintègre le groupe sous certaines conditions
— nicolas anelka (@anelkaofficiel) March 14, 2014
que je ne peux pas accepter. Souhaitant garder mon intégrité, j'ai donc pris la décision de me libérer et de mettre fin au contrat
— nicolas anelka (@anelkaofficiel) March 14, 2014
me liant avec West Bromwich Albion jusqu'en 2014, et ce dès à présent.
— nicolas anelka (@anelkaofficiel) March 14, 2014
Yet West Brom are saying otherwise in an official statement released on the team’s website on Friday as well.
“The Club confirms it has been continuing discussions with Nicolas Anelka and his advisers as part of its own internal enquiry into the gesture he made after scoring against West Ham United on December 28.
“Following the conclusion of the FA’s enquiry into the same incident, the Club had hoped to conclude its own investigations next week.
“The Club notes Nicolas Anelka’s comments on Twitter this evening (Friday). However, the club has received nothing formally regarding the termination of Nicolas Anelka’s contract from either him or his advisers.
“The Club regards the release of such a statement on Social Media as highly unprofessional and will make a further statement when appropriate.”
Whether Anelka is really terminating his contract, which runs until the end of this season, his five-game ban started last weekend as West Brom traveled to South Wales and picked up 3 crucial points against Swansea.