Turkish defender Merih Demiral has been banned for two matches for making a gesture linked to a far-right extremist group; he will miss the Euro 2024 quarter-final against the Netherlands.

Turkish defender Merih Demiral has been banned for two matches for making an act linked to a far-right extremist group, ruling him out of Turkey’s Euro 2024 quarter-finals and a possible semi-final.

The Al-Ahli defender scored twice in his country’s 2-1 win in the round of 16 on Tuesday, booking the team a place in the quarter-finals against the Netherlands. However, the 26-year-old’s controversial celebration after his second goal prompted UEFA to launch an investigation into alleged “inappropriate behavior.”

The governing body has now confirmed that he has been handed a two-match ban “for breaching fundamental rules of good conduct, for using sporting events for non-sporting purposes and for bringing the sport of football into disrepute”.

Demiral’s gesture, the “wolf salute,” is associated with the Grey Wolves, a far-right extremist group in Turkey. The gesture allegedly performed by Demiral is banned in France and Austria. The ban was introduced in Austria in 2019 after a law was passed banning symbols of “extremist organizations.”

The gesture can carry fines of up to €4,000 (£3,400). However, in 2019, the Turkish government criticized Austria’s stance, arguing that the ban equated the symbol of a legal political party with that of the PKK, a Kurdish militant movement considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

After the game, Demiral explained why he made the gesture. “I had a specific celebration in mind, something connected to my Turkish identity. I am incredibly proud to be Turkish and I felt that pride deeply after I scored,” he said. “I wanted to express it and I am very happy that I did it. Our fans are proud of us. I saw them do that in the stands and it made me want to do it even more.”