WATCH: Israel Footballer Gets Red Card For 'Gun' Celebration Against Austria

News sports football WATCH: Israel Footballer Gets Red Card For 'Gun' Celebration Against Austria

Last Updated:September 25, 2026, 12:54 IST

Israel striker Saied Abu Farchi was sent off for a 'gun-firing' gesture after scoring against Austria in the Nations League.

Israel striker Saied Abu Farchi was sent off with a second yellow for his gun-firing gesture to celebrate scoring a goal against Austria in the Nations League on Thursday.

The 20-year-old footballer was already on a yellow, served for a foul only a few minutes ago, when he equalised in the 55th minute to make it 1-1. He ran to the corner flag, picked it up, and seemed to be pretending to shoot a rifle with it, before putting it back in place. The referee, Bulgaria’s Georgi Kabakov, ran to him and pulled out the second yellow to send him off.

Farchi and his fellow Israeli teammates were not happy, but a second yellow can’t be overturned by VAR.

Under Law 12 of the IFAB Laws of the Game, the exact text mandates a caution (yellow card) if a player ‘acts in a provocative, derisory or inflammatory way’. The law itself does not explicitly mention ‘guns’ or ‘weapons.’ However, refereeing bodies interpret mimicking a weapon, such as shaping hands into a finger gun or using a corner flag as a rifle, as a violation of this specific clause.

As with most rules in football, there’s some subjectivity involved here. Gun celebrations have previously gone unpunished, and the application of the rules depends on the referees. Some Israeli fans on social media have contested that it was a ‘snooker’ celebration rather than a gun gesture from Farchi.

Fixtures between Israel and several European countries have been emotionally charged as thousands of people have died in the country’s war in Gaza.

Earlier, over 160 Irish athletes signed an open letter urging a boycott over the war in Gaza, and a poll showed 75% of Irish citizens favored cancellation.

However, the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) decided to play to avoid heavy UEFA sanctions and tournament expulsion. So, Israel’s upcoming football matches against the Republic of Ireland will proceed at neutral venues behind closed doors despite intense boycott campaigns.

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