Image
Omar Rahou
Belgian indoor soccer star of the country's national team, Omar Rahou, was suspended for 10 matches Tuesday by the European football authorities (UEFA) for making a 'quenelle' gesture as he celebrated scoring a goal in late January in a European championship match at an arena in Antwerp.

Omar Rahou, 21 years old, scored the only goal the only goal in Belgium's 6-1 defeat against Romania in the first round of the championship and celebrated his goal with a 'quenelle', which got him banned for 10 matches. This sanction applies to his involvement in both the national team and his professional club, Châtelineau.

The player can appeal. The 'quenelle' - one arm pointing downwards, the other touching the shoulder - is at the heart of a scandal in France and was qualified as an inverted Nazi salute by LICRA (International Organization Against Racism and Anti-Semitism).

The French soccer striker Nicolas Anelka, who did a 'quenelle' during an English league match in which he scored for his club West Bromwich Albion on December 28, 2013, was suspended for 5 matches last week by the English Football Association.

Anelka pleaded not guilty. He explained that he made the gesture as a 'dedication' to his friend Dieudonné, the controversial French comedian.
Image
Quenelle