Merih Demiral was Turkey’s hero in the UEFA Euro 2024 Round of 16 match against Austria, scoring both goals in his team’s 2-1 victory to advance to the quarterfinals. However, the standout center back will miss the crucial match against the Netherlands.
Turkey enters the quarter-final as the underdogs, yet they remain hopeful of replicating their 2008 success when they reached the semi-finals, marking their best performance in UEFA Euro history.
Nonetheless, head coach Vincenzo Montella faces a significant challenge without his key defender and top scorer of the tournament due to his suspension in the match against Austria. But why was he suspended?
Merih Demrial out of quarter-final match against Turkey
The suspension of Merih Demiral stems from “failure to comply with the general principles of conduct, violating the basic rules of decent conduct, using sporting events for non-sporting demonstrations, and bringing soccer into disrepute,” according to UEFA.
The former Juventus defender explained his post-match celebration: “I had a specific celebration in mind. It was about Turkish identity, something I’m very proud of. After the second goal, I felt it deeply, so I made that gesture. I’m very happy I did it.”
The Turkish Football Federation has criticized UEFA for the suspension, with President Mehmet Büyükeksi stating, “We consider the two-match ban imposed on our player Merih Demiral by the UEFA Ethics and Disciplinary Committee to be an unacceptable, illegal, and political decision.”
Despite this setback, Turkey will look to overcome the odds and advance to the semi-finals without one of their key players.