West Brom sponsor Zoopla pulls out in anger over Anelka quenelle

A property website has withdrawn its sponsorship of English Premier League football club West Bromwich Albion after the team’s French striker Nicolas Anelka performed a controversial salute associated with anti-Semitism, writes Stephen Oryszczuk.

Property website Zoopla, co-owned by a Jewish businessman, has announced that it will end its sponsorship at the end of the current season.

In a statement, the company said it had “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,” adding that it had “decided to focus its attention on other marketing activities after this season”.

Zoopla has sponsored the club during its two-season sponsorship, but Head of Communications Lawrence Hall confirmed: “We have decided to re-evaluate this sponsorship.”

With a Football Association investigation into the controversial goal celebration expected to conclude this week, the club are waiting to hear whether the sponsorship deal is the only casualty of the affair. If he is found guilty of performing a race hate sign, he faces a lengthy ban.