Nicolas Anelka will serve a five-match ban after the Football Association confirmed neither it nor the West Brom striker will appeal against the sanction for his “quenelle” gesture.

The former France international was hit with the ban last week after a hearing before an independent regulatory commission into his use of the gesture, which has anti-Semitic connotations, as a goal celebration after scoring against West Ham on December 28.

Both Anelka and the FA had seven days in which to appeal the sanction but a statement on thefa.com revealed no such action will be taken.

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