Israel’s Abu Farchi sent off for gun celebration in Nations League match

Sayed Abu Farchi was shown a red card for a goal celebration after he equalised for Israel against Austria in a UEFA Nations League match in Linz. The 20-year-old, who plays club football for the Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, headed Israel level in the 55th minute to cancel out Romano Schmid’s first-half penalty.

After scoring, Abu Farchi ran to the corner, removed the corner flag and rested it on his hand while dropping to one knee before making a gesture that resembled firing a gun. The match official produced a second yellow card just four minutes after the player’s first, reducing Israel to 10 men.

Austria regained the lead late in the game when Phillipp Mwene finished from a Paul Wanner cross in the 90th minute, and Sasa Kalajdzic added a close-range goal in stoppage time to secure a 3-1 victory. The incident will be considered in the context of Law 12 of the International Football Association Board, which allows celebrations but requires that they not be excessive or provocative and mandates a caution for inflammatory conduct.

The match took place against a backdrop of political tensions surrounding Israel’s participation in the Nations League. Austrian fans displayed a “Free Palestine” banner near the pitch, and the Republic of Ireland has complained to UEFA after a request to avoid future pairings with Israel was rejected; Ireland are due to face Israel at a neutral venue on Sunday. Al Jazeera reported that it had contacted UEFA and the Colorado Rapids for comment on Abu Farchi’s celebration.