Hommam Al Nassim 
The European Football Association (UEFA) opened an investigation against Merih Demiral, the Turkish national team defender, following his team’s 2-1 victory over Austria in the round of 16 of the Euro 2024 tournament.
The investigation pertains to Demiral’s celebration of his second goal, where he raised his hands in the shape of a wolf’s head, a gesture known as the “wolf salute” associated with the “Grey Wolves,” a far-right youth movement in Turkey.
German authorities have described this movement as terrorist, anti-Semitic, and racist, and it is monitored in several EU countries due to its dangerous nature.
The British newspaper “The Sun” noted that the “wolf salute” is banned in France and Austria, where performing it can result in a fine of up to 4,000 euros.
Demiral commented on his celebration after the match, stating that he was expressing pride in his Turkish identity and mentioned that seeing fans make the gesture in the stands encouraged him to do it more.
It is worth noting that Demiral scored Turkey’s goals in the 1st and 59th minutes of the match, achieving a historic milestone as the first defender to score two goals in a knockout match of a major international tournament since France’s Lilian Thuram in the 1998 World Cup.
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