Turkey centre-back Merih Demiral will be banned for two matches by UEFA for the gestures he made during the 2-1 win over Austria in the last 16 of Euro 2024, reports Bild.
Demiral scored both goals for Turkey and celebrated by making the symbol of the Turkish nationalist organization the Gray Wolves with his hands. This caused an international scandal after Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Pfizer called for the footballer to be punished, and the Turkish Foreign Ministry called her calls "fascist". UEFA's Disciplinary Committee has started an investigation into the case, and according to Bild, the punishment will be severe - two matches. It means Demiral will miss the quarter-final clash against the Netherlands on Saturday, and if Turkey progress, he will also miss the semi-finals against England or Switzerland. The defender can only play again at Euro 2024 if Turkey reaches the final.
Meanwhile, England star Jude Bellingham only got away with a fine for an indecent gesture after scoring a late equalizer against Slovakia. After the 95th-minute goal in the 1-1 draw, the Real Madrid midfielder pointed to his crotch in what appeared to be a gesture aimed at Slovakia's bench, but Bellingham explained it was a prank with his friends. Bild claim that because Bellingham's actions were not politically motivated, he will pay a hefty fine but will not be banned for the quarter-final with Switzerland.
UEFA is expected to officially confirm its decisions on both cases. | BGNES
