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Euro 2024: Turkey’s Demiral handed two-game ban

The Turkey defender made a gesture that has seen him banned for two matches.

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Turkey's Merih Demiral

Turkey defender Merih Demiral has been handed a two-game ban for making a nationalist gesture during his side’s Euro 2024 win against Austria.

The 26-year-old scored both goals as the Turks won out in the last 16 to set up a quarter-final tie with the Netherlands on Saturday.

Demiral – who plays his club football in Saudi Arabia with Al-Ahli – celebrated the second of his strikes with a ‘wolf salute’, which is associated with an extremist group called the ‘Grey Wolves’.

They are linked with the ruling coalition party in Turkey and the gesture is banned in Austria in France.

The defender said his celebration was pre-planned in case he scored in the match.

He said: “I had a specific celebration in mind, something connected to my Turkish identity.

“I am incredibly proud to be Turkish, and I felt that pride deeply after scoring.

“I wanted to express that, and I’m very happy I did. Our fans are proud of us.

“I saw them doing the gesture in the stands, and it made me want to do it even more.”

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

Now, he will miss the match against the Netherlands and a potential semi-final against either England or Switzerland.

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Mitch Fretton

Mitch is a freelance sports journalist with experience working for LiveScore, GOAL and Colchester United. He has experience working from both his desk at home and in the press box at games covering the Champions League and international football.

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