The Football Association will seek to ensure that Nicolas Anelka serves his quenelle suspension wherever he goes next. The French striker was sacked by West Bromwich Albion on Friday for "gross misconduct", both for making the gesture – widely considered to be antisemitic – against West Ham and for failing to make an apology for it or to accept a club fine over the incident. The FA will write to Fifa on Monday to ask that the five-match ban it imposed is served at whichever club he may choose to go to next.

Anelka cannot play for another club until next season, because the transfer window is closed. He still has the full five matches of the ban to serve.

The FA will also request that the punishment only be considered complete once the player has paid the £80,000 fine issued alongside the ban, and once he has completed an education course.

Fifa would be expected to agree to the FA's request, but the FA could withhold the player's registration in the event that Fifa did not extend the ban worldwide.

On Friday Anelka announced on Twitter that he had terminated his agreement with West Brom, saying he was not prepared to accept the conditions being imposed on him by the club.

Later that evening the club announced he had been sacked for gross misconduct, both in relation to making the gesture in the first place and by then announcing his departure via social media.The FA announced on Thursday that it would not appeal against the length of Anelka's suspension, which was imposed by an independent panel.