Merih Demiral has been banned for two Euro 2024 games over his celebration against Austria, meaning he will miss Turkey's clash with the Netherlands.

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• Demiral banned for quarter-final and semi-final
• Celebration against Austria under microscope
• Scored brace in Round of 16

• Table of Contents

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per Bild, Demiral has been banned for two games by UEFA after his 'wolf' celebration against Austria in the Round of 16. The Turkey defender scored both of his country's goals in a thrilling 2-1 win, and celebrated with a 'wolf' salute. That gesture is associated with the Turkish right-wing extremist group 'The Grey Wolves' – an organisation that is deemed a terror group by the EU – and is banned in Austria.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Demiral defended himself after the game, insisting that his celebration was "connected to his Turkish identity" but UEFA quickly opened an investigation. He has now seemingly been punished and will be missing from their clash with the Netherlands. If they win, they will play either England or Switzerland in the semi-final, and Demiral will also miss that fixture. It is a huge blow for the team, given Demiral's superb performance against Austria, but he will be watching from the sidelines unless Turkey manage to reach an unlikely final.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While the symbol is not banned in Germany, The Guardian has reported that there have been conversations surrounding banning it there, like it is in Austria.

  Nancy Faeser, Germany's interior minister, said on X: “The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums. Using the European football championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable. We expect Uefa to investigate the case and consider sanctions.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Turkey play the Netherlands on Saturday. England play Switzerland beforehand, so Turkey will know their potential last-four opponents before kick-off.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News