Turkey defender Merih Demiral gets two-match BAN for controversial Grey Wolves salute – in potential England boost

UEFA has confirmed that Turkey defender Merih Demiral has been banned for the Euro 2024 quarter-final with Holland for his controversial “Grey Wolf” goal celebration.

Demiral’s gesture after scoring against Austria was widely condemned as he was accused of supporting a far-right cause.

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Turkey’s ambassador to Germany was even summoned to the Euro 2024 host country’s Foreign Office for a dressing down after backing Demiral's behaviour.

But UEFA had already launched a disciplinary case after hitting the former Juventus centre-back with FOUR charges.

Demiral, who scored both his country's goals against Austria, has now been banned for Turkey’s next TWO competitive matches.

That immediately rules him out of tomorrow's last eight clash with the Dutch in Berlin.

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Osman Askın Bak, Turkey's minister of youth and sports, hit out at the ban on X, writing: "We condemn Uefa's unfair and biased decision, which we believe has no legal basis and is entirely political.

"We will continue to seek our rights through legal means against this double standard applied to our country and our national football player Merih Demiral.

"We believe in our football players. They will also give the necessary answer on the field."

The Grey Wolf symbol saw Demiral raising the index and little finger of each hand above his head.

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It is a gesture associated with an extremist group linked to Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party, part of controversial President Reycip Erdogan’s ruling coalition.

The gesture has been banned in both Austria and France - although not in Germany - as an act supporting terrorism.

Turkey’s Grey Wolves paramilitaries have been accused of murders of minority Kurds, Armenians, Greeks, and Assyrians.

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Turkey face Holland in the quarter-finals on Saturday at the Olympiastadion Berlin.

England play Switzerland in the other side of the round in their bid to reach the last four.

And they will have Jude Bellingham available after he was given a suspended one-match ban and huge fine for his "crotch-grab" celebration against Slovakia.