Turkey have cruised through to the quarter-finals but not without controversy, while the Saudi Pro League is set for another major change.
Meanwhile, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur says she is aiming for her third consecutive Wimbledon final as she starts her campaign with a decisive win over Moyuka Uchijima.
Turkey head to quarter-finals as ‘wolf’ gesture causes diplomatic spat
Turkey secured their Euro 2024 quarter-finals spot after a 2-1 win over Austria in Leipzig on Tuesday, with defender Merih Demiral bagging an unlikely brace.
Demiral, who was also man-of-the-match, scored after just 57 seconds of play, with his second coming close to the hour mark.
After the second strike, Demiral caused controversy by displaying a far-right hand gesture associated with the Grey Wolves – a Turkish ultra-nationalist movement with a history of political violence.
German government ministers weighed in to condemn the gesture, while UEFA opened an investigation that could see Demiral banned or a fined.
German newspaper Bild reported on Thursday that Demiral had been banned for two games, drawing a swift denial from the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and the country’s Presidential Communications Directorate.
The TFF said UEFA had given the Turkish side until Friday morning to present their view.
The match also saw a star performance from Arda Guler, who delivered the 59th minute corner kick that was headed in by Demiral.
The 19-year-old Real Madrid winger also supplied the through ball that won the corner for Demiral’s first goal.
Prior to the triumph over Austria, Guler had already scored what has been hailed as one of the best goals of the tournament with a long range strike against Georgia.
The strike also made Guler the youngest player to score in his Euros debut, smashing the record previously held by Cristiano Ronaldo.
Turkey will now face the Netherlands in Berlin on Saturday.
Saudi Pro League gearing up for another major change
The Saudi Pro League (SPL) is set for another major change, with several clubs gearing up for privatisation, which could mark the beginning of the end for the government’s intervention in Saudi football.
The Saudi Investment Fund (PIF) had taken a majority stake in the SPL’s four biggest teams – Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ittihad – amid a wave of big-name signings, along with lower league sides.
In August, the PIF will sell its majority stake in Al-Okhdood, Al-Orouba and Al-Kholoud, plus another three clubs in the Saudi First Division League and Saudi Second Division League, a statement from the sports ministry said this week.
Al-Riyadh, in the SPL, and seven lower-division clubs will follow “at a later stage”, it added.
The privatisations follow the signing of huge names by PIF-owned clubs over the past year-and-a-half, including Neymar Jr, Karim Benzema, and, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli, and Al-Ittihad spent a staggering $957 million in last year’s summer transfer window, second only to the English Premier League, although there was no word from the ministry whether these clubs will be privatised.
There will also be questions over whether private companies will want to purchase stakes in clubs that have staggering wage bills, and uncertainty about how profitable they are.
The PIF’s intervention in the SPL has seen Al-Hilal dominate the league with 34 consecutive wins and it is hoped the privatisations could redress that balance.
Ons Jabeur dreams of third consecutive Wimbledon final
Tunisian 10th seed Ons Jabeur dreams of reaching her third consecutive Wimbledon final this month, understanding that managing negative emotions will be crucial in her quest for the title.
Jabeur, who lost the 2022 final to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina, and the 2023 title match to Czech Marketa Vondrousova, got her latest grass court Grand Slam campaign off to a good start with a 6-3 6-1 victory over Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima.
“If I make it a third year in a row to the final, that would be like a dream,” the 29-year-old told reporters on Tuesday.
“I know I have a big capacity of doing it, I’ve been working on myself a lot. I can see myself winning this tournament hopefully.”
She added: “I always try to remember that this is the place where I belong, where I play amazing and where I feel amazing.
“So I’m just going to enjoy every moment that I’m here at Wimbledon and hopefully it will be the right year.”
