Merih Demiral: Turkey match-winner facing ban for ‘fascist’ goal celebration

Turkey match-winner Merih Demiral is in danger of being banned for celebrating his decisive goal in his country’s European Championship victory over Austria with a “fascist” ‘Wolf’ salute before posting a photo of it on social media.

Uefa confirmed a disciplinary inspector had been appointed to investigate Demiral’s “alleged inappropriate behaviour” in performing the gesture – which is a crime in Austria – and subsequent post to his X account accompanied by a slogan with nationalist connotations.

Former Juventus defender Demiral, who now plays for Saudi club Al-Ahli, scored both Turkey’s goals in their 2-1 last-16 victory on Tuesday night to set up a quarter-final against the Netherlands.

He could now be banned from Saturday’s tie for celebrating the second of those goals with a salute associated with the Grey Wolves, a far-right extremist group linked to his country’s Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which shares power with president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP (Justice and Development Party).

Admitting afterwards the gesture had been premeditated, Demiral said: “I had a goal celebration in mind, which I did. I am very proud because I am a Turk. Therefore, after the goal, I felt it deeply, and I wanted to do it, and I am very happy about doing it.”

Among those to condemn the salute was Germany’s Minister of Interior and Home Affairs, Nancy Faeser, who posted 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.”

Demiral, 26, also faces further action for compounding the offence by posting a photo of him performing the gesture to his X account along with the slogan, “Ne mutlu Türküm diyene,” which means, “How happy is the one who says I am a Turk.”

Coined by the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the phrase has been hijacked by nationalists there and now carries a sinister meaning for minorities, including Kurds, Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians.

In March, Turkish nationalists performed a ‘Wolf’ salute while attacking several Kurdish families returning from Kurdish New Year celebrations in Belgium.

The gesture was criminalised in Austria in 2019 and in France in 2020, while, in 2021, the European Parliament called on member states to apply the terror label to the Grey Wolves movement and ban the group in Europe.

Euro 2024 has already seen Uefa suspend Albania forward Mirlind Daku for two games for leading fans in a chorus of “f--- Macedonia and f--- Serbs” with a megaphone during his country’s 2-2 draw with Croatia.