Israel’s Sayed Abu Farchi was sent off against Austria for a corner-flag celebration that much of the international press called a gun gesture. The evidence points firmly towards snooker.
Sayed Abu Farchi’s goal against Austria lasted about as long as it took him to reach the corner flag. The Israel forward headed an equaliser in Linz on Thursday night, jogged to the corner, knelt and lined the flag up like a cue. Within seconds he was walking off, and within hours large parts of the international press had labelled it a “gun celebration”.
The player’s own history with the celebration, and his manager’s account, tell a different story.
| Venue | Raiffeisen Arena, Linz |
|---|---|
| Date | Thursday 24 September 2026 |
| Austria scorers | Romano Schmid (pen), Phillipp Mwene 90, Sasa Kalajdzic 90+ |
| Israel scorer | Sayed Abu Farchi 55 |
| Red card | Sayed Abu Farchi (second yellow), 55 |
| Referee | Georgi Kabakov (Bulgaria) |
What happened in Linz
Abu Farchi was dismissed in the 55th minute of the Group 3 match, having just headed home to make it 1-1. Bulgarian referee Georgi Kabakov showed him a second yellow card, just four minutes after his first booking.
The celebration itself was simple. He pulled the corner flag from its mount, dropped to one knee and rested the pole between the thumb and index finger of his left hand, in the manner of a bridge, before pushing the front of the pole forward and up.
Romano Schmid had put Austria ahead from the penalty spot before the break. Israel’s ten men held on until Phillipp Mwene restored the lead in the 90th minute, and Sasa Kalajdzic added a third in stoppage time.
How it was reported
Several major outlets presented the gun interpretation as fact or near fact. Reuters ran a “gun gesture” headline, reporting that Abu Farchi appeared to use the corner flag to simulate a gun. Al Jazeera stated that he used the flag to simulate a gun, the Jerusalem Post said he used it to mimic a gun, and Goal initially described him mimicking the firing of a rifle.
Other coverage was more careful. The BBC reported that some outlets suggested a gun while others described a snooker or pool shot, and ESPN said it was not immediately clear which of the two he was simulating.
The case for snooker
The strongest evidence comes from Abu Farchi himself. He has used the celebration before and previously explained it on social media as “a celebration of snooker”. Goal has since published a follow-up acknowledging that, while it was initially reported he had imitated a rifle, the celebration was in fact inspired by snooker.
Israel manager Ran Ben-Shimon backed that up after the match.
“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.”
Ran Ben-Shimon, Israel manager
Ben-Shimon also accepted some responsibility for not telling the youngster to stop doing it, adding that he was sure the lesson would stay with him.
The physical detail matters too. A bridge hand, a kneeling stance and a forward stroke of the pole are the mechanics of a cue shot. A rifle is shouldered, not bridged.
Was the red card still justified?
Possibly, and this is where the gun debate becomes something of a sideshow. Under the Laws of the Game, players are cautioned for celebrating in a way considered provocative, derisory or inflammatory, and removing or moving a corner flag is also a bookable offence. Already on a yellow, Abu Farchi handed the referee a reason to send him off regardless of what the gesture meant.
Austria manager Ralf Rangnick questioned the wisdom of pulling out the corner flag while already booked, while acknowledging that the dismissal helped his side. It remains unclear which element of the celebration the referee penalised, and UEFA has yet to comment.
Why the framing matters
Abu Farchi is a 20-year-old Arab-Israeli forward who joined Colorado Rapids from Maccabi Tel Aviv on 1 September, having scored 15 goals in 52 matches for the Israeli club. The match came during a week in which Israel’s national team was already heavily in the news, with Sunday’s fixture against the Republic of Ireland being played in Debrecen, Hungary, and the return fixture also set for a neutral venue.
In that climate, a headline describing a gun gesture carries a weight that “snooker celebration” does not. When a player’s own explanation predates the match and his manager says the celebration is routine, presenting the gun reading as settled goes further than the evidence supports.
Abu Farchi will be suspended for Sunday’s match against Ireland, and it remains to be seen whether UEFA take any further action.
Frequently asked questions
Here are answers to the most common questions about Abu Farchi’s red card against Austria.
Why was Sayed Abu Farchi sent off against Austria?
He received a second yellow card for his goal celebration, having been booked four minutes earlier. Removing the corner flag and celebrating in a way deemed provocative are both bookable offences under the Laws of the Game.
Was Abu Farchi mimicking a gun?
The evidence suggests not. He has used the same celebration before and previously described it on social media as a snooker celebration, and his manager said he celebrates his goals this way.
Will Abu Farchi miss the Ireland match?
Yes. The red card means he is suspended for Israel’s Nations League match against the Republic of Ireland on Sunday 27 September.
What was the final score between Austria and Israel?
Austria won 3-1, with goals from Romano Schmid, Phillipp Mwene and Sasa Kalajdzic. Abu Farchi scored Israel’s goal.
