Austria vs. Turkey - Turkish international Demiral celebrates goal with fascist wolf salute - coin toss knocks Sabitzer down
Ugly scenes in the Austria versus Turkey quarter-final. Turkish national player Merih Demiral formed the so-called Wolf's Salute, a hand gesture and symbol of the far-right Grey Wolves, after scoring his second goal on Tuesday evening at the Leipzig Stadium. Supporters of the right-wing Ulkuçu Movement in Germany are referred to as such by the Constitutional Protection Agency. In Turkey, the ultranationalist MHP is their political representation and alliance partner of the Islamo-conservative AKP of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Demiral led his team to a 2:1 win over Austria with his two goals. He scored the fastest goal in the knockout stage of an EM after just 57 seconds. He was successful for the second time in the 59th minute. Afterwards, he clearly formed the salute for all to see.
Marcel Sabitzer hit by a coin during game against Turkey
This wasn't the only scene that overshadowed the exciting game. Fans of both sides threw mugs on the field several times during the match. This time, it appeared that a coin hit the Austrian national player Marcel Sabitzer on the head. The Borussia Dortmund professional went down momentarily but played on without issues afterwards. Turkey plays the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday for a spot in the EM semifinals.
Fans have thrown mugs frequently during the tournament. The Swiss Football Association was fined 91,000 Swiss Francs (93,000 Euros) by the UEFA for this. Fans of the Nati had rained mugs onto the field in all three group stage matches. German national player Toni Kroos had to deal with it when the German team played against Switzerland.
- Despite the controversial actions of Merih Demiral from Turkey, his team managed to secure a 2:1 victory over Austria in the quarter-finals, with goals in the 57th and 59th minutes from Demiral.
- Marcel Sabitzer, an Austrian national player, was unfortunately hit by a coin thrown by a fan during the game against Turkey at the Leipzig Stadium.
- The far-right Grey Wolves movement in Germany has supporters referred to as such by the Constitutional Protection Agency, and in Turkey, the ultranationalist MHP serves as their political representation, collaborating with the Islamo-conservative AKP led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
- It's disheartening to see such incidents persist in football, as fans in Germany, including Toni Kroos, have faced the issue of mugs being thrown onto the field during several matches, resulting in fines, such as the 91,000 Swiss Francs (93,000 Euros) penalty imposed on the Swiss Football Association by UEFA.
