Kick It Out chairman Lord Ouseley has slammed the Football Association after it emerged that Nicolas Anelka would only serve a three-match ban from new club Mumbai City in the Indian Super League for his "quenelle" gesture.
Anelka, 35, was handed a minimum suspension of five games, fined 80,000 pounds and ordered to complete a compulsory education course by an independent panel following his controversial celebration for West Bromwich Albion against West Ham on Dec. 28, leading to his contract being terminated at the club.
However, it has now emerged that Anelka has escaped with serving two of those matches prior to his departure and the fact that he will effectively receive the same length ban as someone who earns a straight red card has led Lord Ouseley to brand the FA's treatment as a "mess."
"It's almost typical of what you'd expect at the FA," he told Telegraph Sport. "It's almost a case of, 'Good riddance, he's off our hands, we're not interested any more,' when, in fact world football should be interested in such an outrage. You're almost lost for words."
Anelka will also not have to attend the education course imposed on him as it was only dependent on his return to English football.
"That's not real justice and that's not serving the intentions of zero-tolerance with racism because it encourages people to find a way round a fairly lukewarm ban as it was," Lord Ouseley added.
Anelka will miss Mumbai's first three games of the inaugural Indian Super League season though will be able to make his return for Peter Reid's side against Chennaiyin FC on Oct. 28.