Zoopla withdraws West Brom sponsorship over Anelka salute

Property website Zoopla will end its sponsorship of premiership football club West Bromwich Albion a year early due to the continued presence of Frenchman Nicolas Anelka, who is being investigated by the FA after his use of the controversial “quenelle” salute.

In December, Anelka performed the gesture, which was made famous by French comedian Dieudonné M’bala M’bala, who has been fined for hate speech in the past.

The salute is widely seen by Jewish groups to be anti-Semitic and has been called a “Nazi salute in reverse”, although Anelka has claimed he made the gesture as a “dedication to his comedian friend” who devised it.

Zoopla, which is co-owned by Jewish businessman Alex Chesterton, said it would not seek to renew its sponsorship of the club after this season. Zoopla’s sponsorship deal of West Brom was supposed to run until “at least” the 2014/15 season.

The company said: “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.”

FA inquiry

The FA is expected to report the findings of its inquiry into the gesture on Tuesday.

Anelka’s salute was condemned as a “shocking provocation” by France’s Sports Minister Valerie Fourneyron. Dieudonné currently faces a ban from performing in France amid allegations of spreading hate speech – he has described Holocaust remembrance events as “memorial pornography”.

The comedian has been convicted seven times for anti-Semitics remarks and paid out thousands of euros in fines. Dieudonné has had his shows banned in Paris and even made public appearences with then Front National leader Jean Marie Le Pen, who is godfather to Dieudonné’s third child.

Football anti-discrimination campaign group Kick It Out said they were “very frustrated” at the length of time taken by the FA to investigate Anelka’s gesture.

“The campaign is totally opposed to acts of antisemitism and has no hesitation in condemning such actions,” added the group. “Kick It Out continues to press for an urgent decision.”