The Football Association will not appeal against Nicolas Anelka's five-match suspension over his 'quenelle' gesture, having decided there is little prospect of the ban being extended.

The former France striker was given the ban last week after a hearing before an independent regulatory commission, with the FA arguing during the hearing for a longer ban than the minimum five matches for an aggravated breach of its rules.

Both Anelka and the FA had seven days in which to appeal the sanction but a statement on www.thefa.com revealed the governing body will not do so.

The FA's statement read: "Having carefully considered the written reasons of the Independent Regulatory Commission together with our appointed QC, The FA can confirm it will not be appealing the sanction imposed on Nicolas

Anelka.

“The grounds of appeal available to us are limited to legal challenges or to circumstances in which the sanction imposed is ‘so unduly lenient as to be unreasonable’. As the written reasons make clear, The FA pressed the Commission at the original hearing to impose a suspension of greater than five matches.

“We do not consider there is a real prospect of successfully appealing to extend the sanction imposed.”