The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has called for an investigation by UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Committee following an incident during Beşiktaş's UEFA Europa League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
The controversy stems from Maccabi's Gavriel Kanichowsky, who celebrated his goal against Beşiktaş with a military salute in front of an Israeli flag.
In their fifth match of the group stage, Beşiktaş suffered a 3-1 loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv on neutral ground in Hungary.
Kanichowsky’s goal celebration, which involved a military salute, quickly sparked criticism.
The TFF argued that the salute carried political implications, sending a clear message with potential consequences beyond the game.
In a formal request to UEFA, the TFF described the salute as "political, thoughtless and aimed at delivering a direct message" and urged an investigation into Kanichowsky and his club.
The incident did not go unnoticed on social media, where the salute drew widespread backlash.
The game, initially scheduled to take place in Istanbul, had been moved to Hungary for security reasons.
The shift in venue brought renewed attention to UEFA’s perceived double standards when it comes to Israeli teams.
This is not the first time UEFA has faced scrutiny over political gestures in football.
Earlier this year, Türkiye's Merih Demiral received a two-match suspension for making a "Bozkurt" gesture after scoring against Austria in the Euro 2024 Round of 16.
UEFA deemed the gesture political, further fueling debates over its handling of politically charged celebrations in the sport.
