The centre-back’s game took an unfortunate turn as he scored an own goal against the country he calls home
Merih Demiral was the unfortunate protagonist of Friday’s Euro 2020 opener between Turkey and Italy as the tournament kicked off with an own goal for the first time ever.
The big moment came in the 53rd minute following a fairly dull first half, with Turkey defender Demiral forced to turn the ball into his own net from a Domenico Berardi cross.
The irony of Demiral being a Juventus player was not lost on those watching the game, who were quick to joke about the Turkey defender’s connections to the Italian heavyweights.
Editors’ Picks
- Euro 2020: The Ultimate Guide
- ‘Southgate is right to say they will keep doing it’ – Why taking the knee has nothing to do with Marxism
- Euro 2020 Top 100 Players to Watch: Full list revealed
- NXGN x Euro 2020: How Bellingham became England’s great young hope
‘Juve’s in his blood!’
Juve continues to be the backbone of the Italian national team
— David Amoyal (@DavidAmoyal) June 11, 2021
I like the Italy approach of now shooting at the Turkish defenders as it’s the only chance of scoring.#EURO2020
— Ronan Murphy (@swearimnotpaul) June 11, 2021
thank you merih demiral that’s the juventus in his blood
— Eric (@NinosGoodTimes) June 11, 2021
Further reading
- The Louis Vuitton bag that symbolises Jorginho’s journey from the Brazilian coast to Euro 2020
- NXGN x Euro 2020: How Bellingham became England’s great young hope
