Anelka ‘quenelle’ hearing starts today

Nicolas Anelka’s disciplinary hearing into his alleged anti-Semitic ‘quenelle’ salute is to start on Tuesday.

A three-man independent regulatory commission will hear the case which is expected to be completed by the end of the week.

West Brom’s French striker faces a minimum five-match ban under the Football Association’s new anti-discrimination rules if found guilty. Anelka has been charged by the FA with performing an alleged anti-Semitic gesture during his club’s match against West Ham on December 28.

The 34-year-old has denied the salute was anti-Semitic and requested a personal hearing.

Anelka was charged last month with an aggravated offence after making a gesture that was judged to be “abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper”.

The aggravated breach was that it included “a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief”.

UEFA’s French president Michel Platini said at the weekend the European body would take a “zero tolerance” approach to the quenelle adding that “any display of racism on a UEFA pitch will be sanctioned and penalised”.

UEFA is dealing with a similar case with a gesture allegedly made by Belgian player Omar Rahou in a European futsal championship last month.

The quenelle has been described as an inverted Nazi salute and its invention has been credited to French comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, a friend of Anelka’s, who was been prosecuted in France for anti-Semitism.

Anelka maintains his goal celebration was an anti-establishment gesture in support of Dieudonne.

Last month, Dieudonne was banned from entering the UK after the Home Office made him subject to an exclusion order.