Merih Demiral of Turkey Scores Game-Winning Goal for Italy to Open European Soccer Championship

Turkish soccer star Merih Demiral was the unlikely hero for Italy at the opening game of the European soccer championship tournament in Rome on Friday.

Demiral scored an "own goal" to open Euro 2020, the first-ever own goal to kick off scoring in the history of the tournament. The month-long tournament is getting underway after a one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although Italy went on to score two goals from their players before cruising to a comfortable 3-0 victory, the Turkish player technically earned Italy the victory due to his game-winning own goal.

Demiral's own goal was far from intentional. Italy winger Domenico Berardi whipped the ball across the face of the goal when it struck a rushing Demiral on the chest and quickly bounced past Turkish goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir.

Regardless of intent, Demiral was quickly lambasted on social media. No shortage of commentators noted that the defender's team outside of international duty is the storied Italian club Juventus.

"Juve continues to be the backbone of the Italian national team," tweeted podcast host and columnist David Amoyal.

"Demiral helping his Juventus teammates gain the lead," @BesanGreenwood tweeted.

Twitter user @NinosGoodTimes thanked Demiral for the goal, while claiming it was the result of "the Juventus in his blood."

"The first goal in #EURO2020 is an own goal from not so Merih Demiral," former England national team striker Gary Lineker tweeted.

"One of the great joys of sports is really the pain in a defender's face after they score a terrible own-goal," sportswriter Zito Madu tweeted.

"That's such a hilariously bad own goal," Barstool Sports basketball writer Bobby Reagan tweeted.

"Scoring a normal own goal is gonna get you some stick for a while...but imagine it being the opening goal of #EURO2020," tweeted U.K. sports presenter Amy Christophers. "Let's all take a moment to think of poor Merih."

"Seriously though, gotta feel for Merih Demiral," freelance sports journalist Konstantinos Lianos tweeted. "Absolutely nothing he could have done to prevent it. Too much power on that ball by Domenico Berardi."

Demiral, 23, has represented Turkey at the international level since he was a youth player, going on to amass over 20 games with the senior national team.

He has been the focus of negative attention in the past. In March, what the Italian press dubbed an "unforgivable" mistake from Demiral led to a penalty kick being awarded to FC Porto in a UEFA Champion's League match that Juventus ultimately lost 2-1.

Newsweek reached out to Juventus for comment.