Europe’s football governing body UEFA handed a two-match ban to Turkish soccer player Merih Demiral for a politically-charged “wolf” celebration and fined England’s Jude Bellingham 30,000 euros ($32,469) for a crotch-grabbing gesture at Euro 2024.
Bellingham was also given a one-match suspension in principle, but UEFA said that would not be immediately enforced and would be subject to a one-year probationary period.
Demiral, 26, mimicked the shape of a wolf’s head with his fingers after his second goal in Turkey’s win over Austria in the last 16. The gesture is linked to Turkey’s far-right “Grey Wolves” group and was condemned as racist by Germany.
UEFA said he was being punished “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.”
Demiral and Turkey’s government have defended the gesture as a normal expression of patriotic pride.
President Tayyip Erdogan said he decided to attend Turkey’s Euro 2024 quarter-final in Berlin after the row earlier this week, CNNTurk and other Turkish media reported on Friday.
“Does anybody ask why the German national jersey has an eagle, or the French jersey a rooster? Merih (Demiral) showed his excitement with that gesture,” Erdogan was quoted as telling reporters Thursday on a flight from Kazakhstan.
In Bellingham’s case, he kissed his hand and lowered it to his groin after the final whistle in England’s last-16 2-1 over Slovenia.
His fine and suspended one-match ban were “for violating the basic rules of decent conduct,” UEFA said in its statement.
“Said suspension is not immediately enforced and is subject to a probationary period of one year, starting from the date of the present decision,” it added.
Bellingham has said the gesture was not aimed at Slovenia, as some interpreted it, but an in-joke with friends.
England face Switzerland while Turkey play the Netherlands in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals on Saturday.
