FURY AS ‘QUENELLE’ ANELKA BUYS CLUB WITH HIS NEIGHBOUR

SUNDAY MIRROR

JEWISH leaders in Holland have reacted furiously to Nicolas Anelka’s shock arrival as a football club owner in the Dutch League.

The former Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea striker has taken over at struggling Roda JC Kerkrade, in partnership with Swiss-Russian millionaire banker Alexei Korotaev.

But many in the small mining town of Kerkrade still remember Anelka (right) for making an anti-Semitic “quenelle” gesture when he was playing for West Brom in December 2013.

The Frenchman was banned for five matches and fined £80,000 for the outrage.

And although an FA disciplinary committee also ruled that he was not promoting anti-Semitism with the gesture, he was sacked by the Baggies two weeks later.

Jewish leader Ron van der Wieken said: “This is a disgraceful matter. We cannot believe Roda JC are dealing with him. We would like to tell Mister Anelka how shocking his quenelle gesture was towards Jewish people.”

Anelka, who has promised to take Roda JC into the Champions League within five years, insists he was guilty of nothing more than a misunderstanding for making the gesture in support of infamous French comedian Dieudonne after scoring a goal against West Ham.

He said: “I have nothing against the Jews. It is an incident from three years ago. I went to court and I was cleared. “I am not guilty. For me, it is over.” Anelka, who has spent the last four years working as a player-manager for clubs in China and India, became friends with Korotaev when they were neighbours in Dubai.

He has been given full power to hire and fire by banker mate Korotaev, who is now pumping millions into the club in a bid to beat off the threat of relegation.

And his reign could not have got off to a tougher start – Roda face Amsterdam giants Ajax at home today.

Roda have been run on a shoestring for years, having signed 64 players over the last three seasons on free transfers.

Their budget has already been hiked up by £5million – a fortune for a club that has been forced to sell 62 players in that time for a profit of just £250,000.

Anelka added: “I am going to produce a lot of players for the academy – that is the way I want to work here.

“I have a massive network and I am going to bring talent to the club.”