Europe’s football governing body Uefa handed a two-match ban to Turkish 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.
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 win over Slovenia.
Bellingham has said the gesture was not aimed at Slovenia, as some interpreted it, but an in-joke with friends.
