Türkiye ‘deeply regrets’ two-match suspension of national team player

ISTANBUL

Turkish authorities said on Friday they “deeply regret” UEFA’s two-match ban on Turkish international Merih Demiral for using a grey wolf sign during a match celebration earlier this week.

“We are deeply saddened by the fact that UEFA has suspended our national team player, Merih Demiral, for two matches,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The statement emphasised the role of international sporting competitions in bringing societies and countries closer together.

The ministry described UEFA’s decision as a “cause for disappointment” among all Turkish citizens, regardless of whether they live in Turkey or abroad. It added that the decision “reinforced the assessment of growing prejudice against foreigners in some European countries.”

Turkish footballer Merih Demiral was suspended for two matches on Friday for using the grey wolf sign during the UEFA EURO 2024 match against Austria on Tuesday.

In its decision, the UEFA Appeal Committee found that there had been “a failure to comply with the general rules of conduct, a breach of the basic rules of good conduct, the use of sporting events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature and bringing football into discredit”.

The decision, if upheld, means that 26-year-old Demiral, a former Juventus and Atalanta player, will miss Saturday’s quarter-final against the Netherlands and will also miss the semi-finals of EURO 2024 if Türkiye advance. Demiral scored both goals in Tuesday’s match, which Türkiye won 2-1.

UEFA launched an investigation after Demiral celebrated the match by displaying a banner with an image of a grey wolf.

Demiral has been a player for the Turkish national team since 2018. He has scored four goals in 48 appearances for the Turkish national team.

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