Israel forward Saied Abu Farchi found himself at the center of controversy after being sent off for his goal celebration against Austria. Abu Farchi, who plies his trade for MLS side Colorado Rapids, drew his side level in the 55th minute of Thursday’s UEFA Nations League game in Linz.
The 20-year-old sprinted toward the corner flag, removed it from the ground, and aimed the pole at the pitch while dropping to one knee. Grinning, Abu Farchi then appeared to simulate a gunshot.
Under Rule 12 of the FIFA Laws of the Game, a player can be cautioned for an excessive or provocative celebration that incites the crowd or mocks opponents. Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov ruled the celebration to be unsporting conduct and produced a second yellow card for Abu Farchi, who had already been booked just three minutes prior.
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Israel were subsequently reduced to 10 men for the remainder of the game. They held firm until the 90th minute, before Phillipp Mwene edged Austria ahead, with Saša Kalajdžić wrapping up a 3-1 victory in stoppage time, as per The Mirror.
Nevertheless, some observers have suggested Abu Farchi was actually mimicking a pool or snooker shot, pointing to his use of an identical celebration at club level without facing any disciplinary action.
Following the final whistle, Israel head coach Ran Ben-Shimon confirmed that Abu Farchi regularly performs the celebration for Colorado without consequence. “I’ve seen it before and everyone can check,” Ben-Shimon said.
“When this young player scores, in the Israeli national team or the MLS or anywhere he plays, he celebrates in the same situation again and again and he never gets a yellow card about it.
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“He didn’t know about it, this is his way to celebrate every goal he scores. He’s a young player, I’m sure this lesson will stay with him a long time, he made a mistake.”
UEFA subsequently confirmed to Mirror Football that Abu Farchi received a second yellow card for unsporting behavior.
The match in Austria was played against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. Ben-Shimon’s side will next face the Republic of Ireland at a neutral venue in Debrecen, Hungary, with no away supporters permitted and reduced television coverage.
Sunday’s fixture — along with the two nations’ encounter in Serbia the following week — has already been mired in controversy, after the Israeli FA recently accused Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson of ‘hypocrisy and stupidity’ for stating that his team would be ‘playing against genocide’.
The Israeli government continues to deny accusations of genocide. Since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict in Gaza, according to the United Nations.
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