Merih Demiral: Turkey defender hit with two-game ban by Uefa over Euro 2024 goal celebration

Evening Standard

·5 July 2024

Merih Demiral: Turkey defender hit with two-game ban by Uefa over Euro 2024 goal celebration

Al-Ahli centre-back will miss Saturday’s last-eight tie with the Netherlands and a potential semi-final clash too, should Turkey progress

Turkey defender Merih Demiral will miss Saturday’s Euro 2024 quarter-final tie against the Netherlands after he was hit with a two-game ban for his goal celebration in Tuesday’s win over Austria.

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Demiral scored both goals in the 2-1 last-16 victory in Leipzig and celebrated the second of those by mimicking the shape of a wolf’s head with his fingers, a gesture linked with the Turkish far-right ultra-nationalist group known as the Grey Wolves.

The celebration prompted a huge backlash and was condemned by Germany’s interior minister, Nancy Faeser.

“The symbols of Turkey’s far-right extremists do not belong in our stadiums,” said Faeser.

UEFA have now concluded their investigation into Demiral’s celebration and he has been handed a two-game ban.

European football’s governing body have, in total, hit the defender with four charges that has led to him being given such a suspension.

The charges relate to: failing to comply with the general principles of conduct, for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, for using sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute.