Uefa: No calling up players

Vienna: Despite Turkey’s injury and suspension crisis ahead of Wednesday’s semi-final match against Germany at the European Championship, Uefa has no plans to alter its rules and allow the team to call up more players. The Turks were without six players when they beat Croatia 3-1 in a penalty shootout in the quarter finals Friday, and lost a further three — Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan and Emre Asik — to suspension due to accumulated cards during the match at Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna.

Striker Nihat Kahveci also hurt his thigh and looks certain to be ruled out, adding to coach Fatih Terim’s worries as Turkey look to reach their first final at a major football tournament.

Change of mind

Basel: Denis Kolodin was a relieved man when the referee changed his mind after showing him a red card on Saturday, enabling Russia’s 11 men to overpower The Netherlands in their quarter final.

Slovakian referee Lubos Michel rescinded a second booking for the defender in stoppage time of normal time after a linesman told the official the ball had gone out of play before Kolodin tangled with Wesley Sneijder.

Despite it being rare for a referee to go back on a red-card decision, Kolodin said it had happened to him before. “It is the second time this has happened to me,” he said, although he could not remember when.

Kahveci out

Vienna: Turkey striker Nihat Kahveci will miss the rest of Euro 2008 due to a thigh injury, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said on Sunday. “Before going (home) he sent his best wishes to the squad and wished them victory against Germany in Wednesday’s semi-final,” the TFF said on its website.

Nihat, who was leading in the absence of the injured Emre Belozoglu, hurt his right thigh three minutes from the end of extra time in Friday’s penalty shootout win over Croatia in Vienna.

Fifty held

Basel: Basel police arrested 50 fans after The Netherlands’ unexpected 1-3 defeat by Russia in their Euro 2008 quarter final on Saturday but said the vast majority of supporters had been well-behaved.