FA snub French bid to ban Anelka

Manchester City striker Nicolas Anelka will be free to play against Middlesbrough at the Riverside on Saturday after the Football Association turned down a request from their French counterparts to suspend him.

French officials called for action after Anelka refused to link up for his country’s friendly clash with Yugoslavia tonight after being called into the squad as a late replacement over the weekend.

City immediately distanced themselves from their striker‘s move, fearing a suspension if they were seen to be involved.

However, the FA have checked FIFA regulations and do not believe there is any legal requirement for Anelka to be suspended.

A statement on the FA’s official website read: “The FA today confirmed that is has responded to the French Football Federation’s request for Manchester City’s Nicolas Anelka to be suspended from domestic football with the following:

“FIFA’s regulations for the status and transfer of players (Article 38:2) makes it clear that both a player and a club must be notified in writing at least 15 days before the date of the match for which the player is requested.

“The correspondence received by Nicolas Anelka and Manchester City notifying the player of his selection is clearly dated November 18, only two days before the match date.

“Due to these circumstances the Football Association does not consider it appropriate that any action should be taken against Nicolas Anelka.”

The only way Anelka could now be banned for the trip to Teesside would be if FIFA decided to intervene in the matter.

However, FA sources believe that to be highly unlikely given the clarity of the regulations.

Anelka was overlooked for France’s World Cup squad by former coach Roger Lemerre but now appears to have played his final international, with Santini unlikely to select him for future internationals.

It is the latest in a series of controversies involving the former Arsenal striker, who left Highbury under a cloud when club officials claimed he had engineered a move to Real Madrid.

His short stay in Spain was followed by a return to Paris St Germain, then a loan deal with Liverpool, which failed to gain him a permanent contract during the summer.

Instead, Keegan made his move, completing a record €20m swoop for the striker, who has played every minute of every City match on their return to the Premiership, scoring his seventh goal of the campaign in the stunning 3-1 triumph over Manchester United at Maine Road on November 9.

Today’s decision had been widely anticipated, particularly as City had played no part in it, manager Kevin Keegan declaring today he would never prevent any player from joining an international squad.

“We did not refuse Nicolas permission to go,” Keegan told the club’s official website www.mcfc.co.uk. “We have never refused anyone permission to go on international duty.

“In fact Shaun Wright-Phillips has joined up with the England Under-21 squad and he is carrying a slight injury.

“This is a personal matter between Nicolas Anelka and the French.”