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10 Jan, 2021 11:22

Turkish forward Tosun denies using far-right ‘Grey Wolves’ gesture after furious fans call out Everton goal celebration (VIDEO)

Turkish forward Tosun denies using far-right ‘Grey Wolves’ gesture after furious fans call out Everton goal celebration (VIDEO)

Everton's Turkish international forward Cenk Tosun says that he was simply "pointing to the sky" after claims that he used a controversial far-right gesture in a goal celebration on Saturday.

Tosun seized on a free-kick from Colombian star James Rodriguez to send the ball past Rotherham's Jamal Blackman in their FA Cup tie, in a strike which was subsequently ruled out by VAR.

But if the goal being chalked off by the television match officials was a moment of controversy, so too was the celebration offered by Tosun in its immediate aftermath. 

It was claimed by some that Tosun made a gesture with his left hand in recognition the Turkish far-right extremist group the Grey Wolves - an allegation that the 45-times capped international denies.

The Grey Wolves are a neo-fascist group based in Turkey, while also thought to be the largest ultra-nationalist extremist organization in Germany. They were banned outright by the French government last year.

Everton officials said after the game - which they won 2-1 - that they had spoken to Tosun about his post-goal pageantry, saying that the player informed them that he was "celebrating and pointing to the sky" and that any links to a far-right group are entirely off the mark.

Everton's assistant manager Duncan Ferguson told the media after the game that he didn't see Tosun's celebration and couldn't pass comment on it. 

However, some Everton fans weren't quite as quick to dismiss Tosun's celebration. 

"The FA needs to punish him. This is shocking!" one fan wrote online.

"At the end of the day, fascist or not, sell Cenk Tosun," another declared. "He's f***ing terrible."

Also on rt.com ‘Borderline reverse racism’: FA slammed after commission criticizes Man Utd over lack of media training for banned ace Cavani

Despite having the strike ruled out, Tosun did end his 14-month goal drought in the game when he gave The Toffees a 9th-minute lead in the FA Cup third round game. Matthew Olosunde levelled proceedings shortly after half-time before Abdoulaye Doucoure secured Everton's passage to the fourth round with a 93rd minute winner. 

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