Hull City striker Yannick Sagbo has been slapped with a two-game ban for his comments on Nicolas Anelka's 'quenelle' celebration.
The 26-year-old was initially hit with a £15,000 fine after taking to Twitter to back Anelka's use of the gesture, which is believed to have anti-semitic connotations.
The Football Association appealed the decision on the grounds that the sanction was too lenient, and an independent panel has now deemed it necessary to enhance the punishment.
"Hull City's Yannick Sagbo has been suspended for two matches after an Appeal Board upheld the FA's appeal against his sanction for social media comments made in relation to the quenelle gesture," read a statement.
"Sagbo had been charged with an Aggravated Breach of FA Rule E3 in relation to a comment he posted on twitter in relation to Nicolas Anelka's use of the quenelle gesture. The charge was that his comment was abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper, and furthermore included a reference to ethnic origin and/or race and/or religion or belief.
"The FA appealed on the ground that the sanction imposed was so unduly lenient as to be unreasonable. At a hearing, an Independent Appeal Board upheld The FA's appeal against the original sanction imposed and ordered that Sagbo be suspended for Hull City's first two competitive first team matches of the 2014-15 season in addition to the £15,000 fine and attendance at an education programme."
Anelka was later sacked by West Bromwich Albion for gross misconduct.
Shane Callaghan
