At 2:1 against ÖFB team

Turkey hero celebrates with wolf salute – threat of ban?

Merih Demiral caused a stir with his celebration.(Bild: AP/Ebrahim Noroozi)

Turkish international Merih Demiral caused a stir with his celebratory gesture in the 2:1 victory over Austria in the round of 16 of the European Championship. After scoring his second goal on Tuesday evening in the Leipzig stadium, the 26-year-old formed the so-called wolf salute with both hands, a hand sign and symbol of the "gray wolves". Is he now facing a ban?

"The way I celebrated has something to do with my Turkish identity," said Demiral after midnight in Leipzig's European Championship stadium. "That's why I made that gesture. I saw people in the stadium who also made this gesture." There was "no hidden message" behind it. "We are all Turks, I am very proud to be Turkish and that is the point of this gesture," he said. "I just wanted to demonstrate how happy I am and how proud I am." Hopefully there will be more opportunities to show this gesture.

Double goal scorer Merih Demiral(Bild: AP/ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The supporters of the right-wing extremist "Ülkücü movement", which is monitored by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in Germany, are known as the "Gray Wolves". In Turkey, the ultra-nationalist MHP is its political representative and ally of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamic-conservative AKP.

With Demiral against the Netherlands?
Demiral scored the fastest goal in the knockout round of a European Championship in Leipzig after just 57 seconds and in the 59th minute. Turkey will now play the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday for a place in the semi-finals of the European Championship. It is still unclear whether Demiral will be involved. His gesture could earn him a ban.