UEFA’s Double Standards in Giving a 2-Match Ban to Merih Demiral

UEFA, known for exhibiting political and ideological behaviors, often lets players who display pictures of country leaders or violate general conduct principles off with just fines. However, they handed a 2-match ban to national player Merih Demiral.

Despite the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) submitting a defense file to UEFA, which included numerous past examples and emphasized that the wolf sign made by Demiral is a thousand-year-old symbol for Turkic peoples in Anatolia, Central Asia, and many other parts of the world, the player received a 2-match ban.

UEFA’s Inconsistent Penalties

While UEFA banned Demiral for 2 matches, English player Jude Bellingham received a suspended one-match ban and a 30,000 euro fine for violating ethical behavior rules during his goal celebration at EURO 2024. Additionally, the English Football Association was fined 10,000 euros for fan disturbances and 1,000 euros for fireworks.

Lenient Penalties for the Chetnik Salute

UEFA has previously either not penalized or only fined Serbian players for performing the Chetnik salute, a gesture used by Serbian nationalists. Aleksandar Kolarov faced no penalty from FIFA for a similar gesture during the 2018 World Cup. UEFA also did not penalize Dusko Tosic for the Chetnik salute after a goal in a European Championship qualifying match between Serbia and Albania.

Other Examples of UEFA’s Double Standards

– Dmitry Tarasov of Lokomotiv Moscow received only a 5,000 euro fine for wearing a shirt with a picture of Russian President Vladimir Putin during a match against Fenerbahçe in 2016.

– Albanian-origin players Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka, along with Swiss captain Stephan Lichtsteiner, were fined for making the double-headed eagle gesture, an Albanian symbol, during a 2018 World Cup match against Serbia.

– Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola faced no penalties from UEFA for wearing a yellow ribbon in support of Catalan independence activists during matches.

These examples illustrate UEFA’s inconsistency and perceived double standards in enforcing disciplinary actions.