Monday, 20th January, 2014
West Bromwich Albion's main shirt sponsor will withdraw its patronage at the end of the season owing to the fallout from striker Nicolas Anelka's quenelle gesture.
Anelka's gesture – as a goal celebration – had prompted a severe backlash from various groups last year, and he was officially asked by the club to refrain from repeating it.
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Anelka had defended himself following that West Ham game, insisting he was neither racist nor anti-semitic, but shirt sponsors and property developers Zoopla had been considering their position for a while.
The sponsorship deal is understood to be worth around £3m for West Brom, who are currently just three points above the relegation zone in the Premier League.
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Zoopla's head of communications Lawrence Hall was quoted by the BBC as saying: "In recent weeks we have decided to re-evaluate this sponsorship and as a result we will focus our attention on other marketing activities from the end of the season."
A further company statement quoted by Reuters read: "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."
The Baggies were believed to have been under pressure to not include Anelka in the squad to face Everton later today.
Anelka's quenelle gesture, also used publicly by a French comedian, is considered discriminatory due to its symbolism as a Nazi salute in reverse.
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