UEFA has initiated an inquiry into the conduct of Merih Demiral, the Al-Ahli defender, following accusations of inappropriate behavior during his celebration of a goal at Euro 2024. Demiral secured a decisive 2-1 victory over Austria on Tuesday with his two goals, securing his team’s spot in the quarterfinals.
During his celebration after scoring the second goal, Demiral gestured with both hands, a symbol associated with Turkish nationalists and linked to the ultra-nationalist group Ulku Ocaklari, also known as the Gray Wolves.
In the post-match interview, the defender defended his actions, saying, “It’s about my Turkish identity, something I’m immensely proud of. The feeling overwhelmed me after that second goal, prompting me to make that gesture. I’m delighted that I did,” Demiral remarked. “Seeing others in the stadium using the same sign reminded me that I had it in mind as well.”
Profile of Merih Demiral
Merih Demiral is 26 years old and has played for various clubs with little fanfare, having passed through the likes of Sporting Lisbon, Juventus, and his best stint being at Atalanta.
Today, Demiral plays in the Saudi Pro League since 2023 and on the national team has 48 caps with 4 goals. It is not the first time the defender has had issues with certain hand gestures; on 11 October 2019, after Cenk Tosun scored in a 1–0 victory against Albania in a Euro 2020 qualifier at home, Demiral was among the Turkish players involved in a contentious goal celebration that included a “military-style salute.”
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser issued a strong statement on Wednesday, urging UEFA to take disciplinary action against the player for his controversial gesture.
“The symbols associated with Turkish right-wing extremists should not be displayed in our stadiums. Leveraging the European Championship for promoting racist ideologies is utterly unacceptable,” Faeser asserted in an interview with X.
