July 3rd 2024.
Turkey's defender Merih Demiral has landed himself in hot water with UEFA after his celebratory gesture during Turkey's 2-1 win over Austria at Euro 2024 on Tuesday evening. The 26-year-old, who scored twice in the match, could potentially face a ban from UEFA for his actions.
Despite his impressive performance on the field, Demiral's actions off the field have caused quite a stir. His second goal was celebrated with a wolf salute, a gesture associated with the far-right extremist group, the Grey Wolves. This group is closely linked to Turkey's ruling party, the Nationalist Movement Party. However, this salute is banned in Austria and can result in a hefty fine of up to €4,000.
In response to the incident, UEFA released a statement on Wednesday stating that an investigation has been opened according to Article 31 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations. The statement read, "In relation to the 2024 European Championship Round of 16 match between Austria and Türkiye played on 2 July 2024 in Leipzig, Germany, an investigation has been opened in accordance with Article 31 of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations in relation to the alleged inappropriate behaviour of the Turkish Football Federation player, Merih Demiral."
After the match, Demiral spoke about his planned celebration, stating that he had a specific goal celebration in mind and he was proud to have executed it. "I am very proud because I am a Turk, therefore after the goal I felt it deeply, and I wanted to do it, and I am very happy about doing it," he said.
The defender even took to social media to share an image of himself celebrating with the wolf salute and captioned it with "ne mutlu Turkum diyene," which translates to "How happy is the one who says I am a Turk."
This incident has caused quite a stir and has raised concerns about the potential consequences for Demiral and his team. As of now, UEFA has not announced any sanctions against Demiral, but this incident has certainly caused quite a buzz. We will continue to follow this story and provide updates as they become available.
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