Nicolas Anelka has never been far from controversy. Throughout his career, the French striker has too often made the headlines for the wrong reasons.
Yesterday, at Upton Park he added another offence to his back catalogue. The Parisian-born forward mixed football and politics and not for a pleasant protest song.
After his first goal in the 3-3 draw at West Ham, his first of the season for West Bromwich Albion this season, he celebrated with his right arm extended towards the ground, palm opened and the other one bent across his chest touching his right upper arm.
The gesture is known as the ‘Quenelle,’ labelled as a reversed Nazi salute and made famous a few years ago by the controversial Dieudonné, a French comedian from African background.
In the last few years, Dieudonné M’bala M’bala, his full name, has become an anti-Semitic activist and campaigner. Dieudonné used the Quenelle for the first time in 2009 when he was a candidate for the European elections at the helm of his own party, the anti-Zionist party, despite arguing that it was a generic anti-establishment symbol.
Val says Quite a lot on BBC tv this morning about this footballers gesture and his friendship with the anti semitic comedian.
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