I don't find his explanation implausible. He just put his hand up in the air. A pretty natural salute for someone on a field trying to make a gesture for the crowd, not to mention an ancient Greco-Roman gesture that the Nazis just stole and he's Greek. Really, I've thrown a gesture like that myself tons of times without even thinking...
I hate this ridiculous hysteria we have over gestures and symbols. Try raising your hand in a Roman salute, does it automatically make you think of murdering Jews? No? The only reason people get hysterical over gestures and symbols is because it's a completely cost free way of showing off their great self-righteousness. "Sure, I love to see us bombing any oil rich Third World country that doesn't dance to our tune, but I'm totally against the swastika! I know there's some massacre going on in Africa right now that I don't know or care about, but look at how I'm making a strong stand against Nazi salutes!"
I hate this ridiculous hysteria we have over gestures and symbols. Try raising your hand in a Roman salute, does it automatically make you think of murdering Jews? No? The only reason people get hysterical over gestures and symbols is because it's a completely cost free way of showing off their great self-righteousness. "Sure, I love to see us bombing any oil rich Third World country that doesn't dance to our tune, but I'm totally against the swastika! I know there's some massacre going on in Africa right now that I don't know or care about, but look at how I'm making a strong stand against Nazi salutes!"