The Dutch team, led by captain Virgil van Djik, are in the semi-finals of EURO 2024. © ANSA / ABEDIN TAHERKENAREH

European Championship semi-final complete: Netherlands knocks out Türkiye

The Dutch, with their nerves of steel, reached the semi-finals of the European Championship in the Turkish cauldron of Berlin and knocked Turkey out of the tournament after the wolf salute scandal.

July 06, 2024

From: dpa/sn

The team of national coach Ronald Koeman won the highly explosive quarter-final in Berlin's Olympic Stadium 2-1 thanks to an improvement in performance in the second half and can therefore continue to hope for a second European Championship triumph on German soil after 1988.

Of all people, Samet Akaydin (35th minute), who came into the starting eleven for Merih Demiral, who was suspended for his wolf salute, put the Turks in the lead in front of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and former German international Mesut Özil. Stefan de Vrij (70th minute) and an own goal by Mert Müldür (76th minute) turned the game around and ensured a wild party for the Oranje. The English, who have not been very convincing so far, await in the semi-finals on Wednesday.

Wolf salute polemics also in Berlin

For the Turks, the European Championships came to a bitter end in sporting terms, following the political turmoil caused by Demiral's highly controversial wolf salute, which resulted in him being banned for two games. They initially defied the pressure and were the slightly better team for long stretches. Their dream of reaching the semi-finals of a European Championship for the first time in 16 years was destroyed by a lack of concentration in the final phase.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan (2nd from right) watches the game from the stands. Directly behind him: former German international Mesut Özil. © ANSA / CLEMENS BILAN

Wearing a dark suit and red tie, Erdogan, who had travelled to Berlin just for the match, watched the game in the VIP stands with his wife Emine. The former German international player Özil sat directly behind him. From there they could also see how many Turkish fans gave the wolf salute when the national anthem was played. The fans' march to the stadium had already been brought to an early end by the police because the Turkish supporters had continuously given the wolf salute.