Claims of 2-match ban for Merih Demiral addressed by TFF

In a recent update, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has refuted reports that national player Merih Demiral has been handed a two-match suspension.

Publication: 05.07.2024 - 13:29

Updated: 05.07.2024 - 13:29

UEFA had initiated an investigation into Demiral for "alleged inappropriate conduct" during Turkey's 2-1 victory over Austria in the Round of 16 of the 2024 European Championship.

According to a report from the German newspaper Bild, Merih Demiral was set to miss the next two matches of the tournament due to making the "Bozkurt" gesture, which UEFA purportedly viewed as a political symbol and intended to penalize accordingly.

No Ban for Bellingham

The same report mentioned that UEFA would only impose a €20,000 fine on English player Jude Bellingham for making an obscene gesture towards the Slovakian bench during the England-Slovakia match, without suspending him from any matches.

TFF's Statement

The Turkish Football Federation released a statement clarifying that the reports about Demiral's suspension are unfounded.

"Reports based on Bild newspaper claiming that 'Merih Demiral has been given a two-match ban by UEFA' do not reflect the truth. We have until tomorrow morning to submit our defense," the TFF stated.