[jessupjonesjnr87]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/2014/jan/20/zoopla-west-bromwich-nicolas-anelka-quenelle

e storm surrounding Nicolas Anelka's controversial "quenelle" goal celebration against West Ham United last month shows no sign of abating after Zoopla, the property website and principal sponsor of West Bromwich Albion, announced that it will sever all ties with the Premier League club at the end of this season.

In a statement released on the eve of Albion's Premier League home match against Everton on Monday night, and the day before the Football Association are set to bring disciplinary charges against Anelka for his actions at Upton Park, Zoopla said it had been reviewing its position ever since the Frenchman made the "quenelle" gesture after scoring the first of two goals in the 3-3 draw against West Ham.

The "quenelle" has antisemitic connotations and has been described by some as an inverted Nazi salute, although Anelka has insisted he was merely showing solidarity with the French comedian Dieudonné M'Bala M'Bala, who brought the gesture to prominence.

Dieudonné, however, has a chequered past – he has been prosecuted by the French government for insulting the memory of Holocaust victims and for holding antisemitic views. He was also recently banned from performing in Nantes.

Zoopla, co-owned by the Jewish businessman Alex Chesterman, appears to be upset with the way that Albion have handled the fallout from an incident that took place more than three weeks ago. Anelka has started every Premier League game since the incident and he retained his place in the Albion side for night's match against Everton. Albion's stance throughout has been that Anelka, who has promised not to repeat the gesture, will continue to be eligible to play for the club while the FA's investigation is continuing.

The shirt sponsorship deal was due to expire at the end of the season but Zoopla, which was reported last week to have contacted the club to express dissatisfaction with Anelka's actions, opted to go public with its decision on Mondayafternoon, after informing Albion in writing that it would not be seeking to renew its agreement for the 2014-15 campaign.

"Zoopla has been reviewing its position over the past few weeks in light of the actions of striker, Nicolas Anelka, during the match against West Ham over the Christmas period and has decided to focus its attention on other marketing activities after this season. Zoopla has worked closely with the club and the local community throughout its two-season sponsorship, having committed over £100,000 to the Albion Foundation and other local charities, and will continue to meet its obligations for the rest of the current season."

Albion issued a statement later in the day in response: "West Bromwich Albion has been fully aware since the sponsorship agreement came into force in June 2012 that its partnership with Zoopla could expire this summer and therefore has been planning accordingly. Zoopla has today informed the club in writing that it does not wish to extend its sponsorship deal. The club will now actively seek a new Official Sponsor for next season."

In truth, Albion are likely to be far more concerned about the prospect of losing Anelka for an extended spell, as opposed to the need to recruit a new shirt sponsor for the start of next season. After a lengthy investigation that involved the appointment of an independent academic expert, with intimate knowledge of French politics and society, the FA is expected to announce on Tuesdaythat Anelka has been charged with making an antisemitic gesture. If found guilty, Anelka will be banned for a minimum of five matches under new anti-racism rules, ruling him out until March.

The worry for Albion will be that the punishment could be more severe. How Anelka's defence – he claims the quenelle, which involves one arm pointing downwards and the other across the chest, was a "special dedication to my comedian friend Dieudonné" – stands up in front of an independent FA commission remains to be seen but the omens are not promising for the 34-year-old striker.

Part of the reason for the investigation taking so long is that the FA wanted to ensure it had a watertight case in the event of any legal challenge from Albion and Anelka. It is, in short, difficult to believe that the FA would bring charges without strong enough evidence to support a conviction, as was the case in recent seasons with the Liverpool striker Luis Suárez, who was given an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra, and Chelsea's John Terry, who was banned for four matches for a similar offence.

No surprises the head of the company is Jewish. Seems a little harsh to punish the entire club for one players actions.

[Ombrageux]

I hope the message is clear!

[jessupjonesjnr87]

Yes the message is clear, don't use Zoopla.