Israel’s Sayed Abu Farhi was shown the red card in the Nations League match against Austria after he used the corner flag to mimic shooting a gun during his goal celebration. The 20‑year‑old, who had equalised for Israel, received a second yellow card for the provocative act, leading to his dismissal.
According to football rules, a player may be booked for a celebration that is provocative, derisive or inflammatory. Abu Farhi’s gesture was deemed to fall within that category.
The incident came amid heightened scrutiny of Israel’s actions in Gaza, with a campaign urging the Republic of Ireland to boycott their forthcoming matches. Israel’s home and away fixtures against Ireland are slated for neutral venues.
Israel’s war in Gaza has resulted in over 73,000 deaths, according to the Hamas‑run health ministry, figures that the United Nations considers reliable. The conflict began with the Hamas attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages.
Austria secured a 3‑1 victory in Linz, with goals from Romano Schmid, Phillipp Mwene and Sasa Kalajdzic.
