What do the Turks risk after their military salute?

Football.fr
Posted on 16/10/2019 at 17h42,
Last updated on 16/10/2019 at 19h00

UEFA has officially opened an investigation Tuesday on the military salvation carried out twice by Turkish players in the Euro 2020 qualifying rounds on a couple of occasions. A move that the selection could pay dearly.

They had distinguished themselves three days earlier in a victory won in snatch in front of Albania, Turkish internationals have given it Monday night at the Stade de France, celebrating their equalization against the Blues with the same military salute addressed to the public. All but innocuous in this period of Turkish offensives in Syria. Sports Minister Roxana Maracineanu immediately went to the podium via Twitter. "Thanks to the FFF and the police for their work to ensure the smooth running of the match. The Turkish players spoiled these efforts by achieving a military salute, contrary to sportsmanship. I ask UEFA for an exemplary sanction."

A call, many times renewed, heard since the continental authority announced Tuesday the opening of a disciplinary investigation against the Turkish selection. The goal ? Determine if there has beenpolitical provocation"or not, UEFA's statutes on the issue are very clear:"Prohibition of transmission by gesture, word, object or any other means of any message foreign to the sporting event, including messages of a political, ideological, religious, insulting or provocative nature."Ankara, through the voice of its sports minister also, nevertheless sum up UEFA to show"discernment", seeing in the gesture of his footballers a"beautiful hello".

A possible point withdrawal?

In the past, the parent company of the continental round-robin has already had to sanction under Article 16 [e] of its rules. This was the case in the summer of 2018, at the World Cup in Russia, when Swiss players Granit Xhaka and Xherdan Shaqiri mimed the two-headed eagle on the Albanian flag, their home country, as they faced each other. Serbia. A gesture that earned both men fines. In the Euro 2016 qualifiers, Croatia was awarded a penalty point while a swastika was drawn on the lawn of the Split Stadium on the sidelines of Italy's reception. Sanction matched at the time of two meetings behind closed doors and a fine of 100,000 euros.

In 2014, Serbs and Albanians had been hit even harder for an interruption of the match in Belgrade, after scuffles observed between players and supporters in particular. UEFA declared Serbia victorious 3-0 while depriving it of three points and inflicting two games behind closed doors. The two federations had to pay a fine of 100,000 euros. In the Turkish case, the pecuniary sanction could be retained, but the men of Senol Gunes are not immune either from a point withdrawal. The unit snatched from the Stade de France could thus be deducted from the total of Turkey, currently leader of the group H qualifications to the Euro 2020. Everything but a detail since the Blues would inherit orders from the group. With the key, potentially, the status of seed for the draw of the main draw of the competition. A privilege that will be reserved for the six best hens first.