Hull City will be without Yannick Sagbo for the start of the 2014-15 Premier League season after he was hit with a two-game suspension today.
Sagbo was originally given a £15,000 fine for social media comments made in relation to the quenelle gesture in April but the Football Association have since argued the punishment decided by an Independent commission was "unduly lenient".
An Independent Appeal Board has now upheld the FA's appeal and ordered that Sagbo be suspended for the first two competitive games of the new season. A £15,000 fine also stands, as well as compulsory attendance on an education programme.
Sagbo's suspension will not include Europa League qualifying games beginning at the end of July so will mean he misses the opening weeks of the Premier League season.
With no right of appeal, this marks the end of a controversial saga dating back to December 28.
After West Brom striker Nicolas Anelka celebrated scoring in a 3-3 draw with West Ham by using the quenelle gesture, Sagbo responded by posting picture with the word "Legend" beneath.
Use of the anti-Semetic gesture earned Anelka a five-game ban and brought about his disgraced exit from the English game.
The Tigers are unlikely to be pleased by the two-game ban dished out to Sagbo after high-profile pair Samir Nasri and Mamadou Sakho, of Manchester City and Liverpool respectively, were pictured doing the quenelle gesture last season. Both players escaped punishment after pleading their ignorance to its connotations.
