Assou-Ekotto suspended and fined for tweet supporting Anelka's quenelle gesture

The Football Association suspended Benoit Assou-Ekotto for three matches and fined him £50,000 ($81,938 US) after the defender tweeted his support for Nicolas Anelka's quenelle gesture in 2013.

An Independent Regulatory Commission hearing concluded the Tottenham Hotspur defender "denied an aggravated breach of FA Rule E3," and, in addition to the suspension and fine, a warning was issued to Assou-Ekotto about his future conduct, as well as the completion of a compulsory education course.

Here are the details of the charge, as outlined on the FA's website:

The charge was that the comment was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper, contrary to Rule E3(1). Further to that, The FA considered the comment to be an aggravated breach, as defined in FA Rule E3(2), in that it included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief.

Peter Griffiths of the Queen's Council and the Chairman of the Regulatory Commission concluded that Assou-Ekotto's message was an ill-fated attempt to support a colleague.

Even though we have found that there was an aggravated breach of FA Rule E3 we are satisfied that when the Player sent the tweet on the 28th December 2013 congratulating Anelka, in his mind he believed he was congratulating Anelka on what he perceived to be an anti-establishment gesture as opposed to one associated with anti-Semitism.

The suspension and fine will stand until Assou-Ekotto decides whether to appeal the decision.