Turkish player's right-wing 'wolf' goal celebration sparks furore

BERLIN/ISTANBUL : European soccer's governing body UEFA opened an investigation on Wednesday into a "wolf salute" goal celebration by Turkey centre back Merih Demiral which Germany condemned as racist due to its far right associations.

The 26-year-old defender mimicked the shape of a wolf's head with his fingers after his second goal in Turkey's stunning 2-1 win over Austria in the last-16 of Euro 2024.

The gesture is linked to the "Grey Wolves", an ultra-nationalist youth branch of Turkey's Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), an ally of President Tayyip Erdogan's ruling AK Party.

"The symbols of Turkish right-wing extremists have no place in our stadiums," Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a post on X. "Using the European Football Championship as a platform for racism is completely unacceptable."

Established in the 1960s, the "Grey Wolves" were involved in political violence between leftists and nationalists that killed some 5,000 people around the time of a 1980 coup.

The group is outlawed in France and its symbol is banned in Austria. The "Grey Wolves" are also under surveillance in Germany, Faeser added.

UEFA said it would look into "the alleged inappropriate behaviour" of Demiral.

It has been cracking down on misconduct during the tournament, banning Albania's Mirlind Daku for two games after he led fans in offensive chants, and investigating England's Jude Bellingham for a crotch-grabbing gesture.

'PROUD TO BE TURKISH'

Elated by his man-of-the-match performance, Demiral told reporters he had planned the gesture.

"I had a celebration in mind about being Turkish. I did that (gesture). I am very proud to be a Turk, I felt that to my bones after scoring the goal, that is why I wanted to do something like that," he