Turkey's Demiral gets 2-game ban for celebration
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Turkey defender Merih Demiral has been handed a two-game suspension by UEFA after he celebrated a goal at Euro 2024 by displaying a hand sign associated with an ultra-nationalist group in his team's round-of-16 win over Austria on Tuesday.
UEFA confirmed on Wednesday that it had appointed an inspector to investigate Demiral, and on Friday said in a statement he had been banned "for failing to comply with the general principles of conduct, for violating the basic rules of decent conduct, for using sports events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute."
The defender scored both goals in the 2-1 win to earn a place in the quarterfinals, thoough he will now miss his team's game agains the Netherlands on Saturday.
After scoring the second goal he appeared to make a sign with each hand that is associated with the Turkish ultra-nationalist organisation Ulku Ocaklari, which is more widely known as the Gray Wolves.
Demiral was previously one of 16 Turkey players reprimanded in 2019 for making military-style salutes at games at a time when the country was conducting a military offensive in Syria.
The Gray Wolves group has been banned in France, while Austria has banned the use of the Gray Wolf salute, which is widely used by nationalists in Turkey.
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source: espn.co.uk
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