Billiard cue or rifle? Israeli player Abu Farchi is sent off and after controversy explains his celebration

A celebration that cost him a game and sparked debate. Who knows if Abu Farchi, the Israeli striker born in 2006, had thought to create all this chaos with a gesture so common to him. 10 minutes have passed since the second half of the Austria-Israel match, valid for League B of the Nations League. The hosts are ahead 1-0 when the Israelis find the equalizer precisely through Farchi.

The 20-year-old from Colorado Rapids scores with a precise header after a deflected shot from a teammate. It is his first goal with the national team. The youngster cannot contain his joy and heads to the corner flag to repeat his classic celebration: he picks up the flag from the ground and places it between his fingers, imitating a billiard shot. It is a characteristic gesture of his: both in the championship and in the national team, Farchi celebrates every goal in this way (as can be seen on his Instagram profile).

The explanation for the celebration

This time, however, it cost him dearly: first of all because, because he pulled the flag from the ground, the referee showed him a second yellow card, forcing his teammates to play the entire second half with 10 men and then lose the match. In addition, because many people misunderstood his gesture: on the internet, for many, Farchi had simulated a gunshot. A thesis that caused debate, but about which the player wanted to remove any doubt by publishing a story on his Instagram profile, with a photo of the celebration and the emoji of the black ball with the number 8. The profile, meanwhile, was made private during the night after the match: an action that may have been caused by the wave of hatred on social networks that came as a result of the misunderstanding of his celebration.

What happened in Austria-Israel?

Sayed Abu Farchi was sent off after scoring the equalizer in the Nations League match between Israel and Austria. The Israeli player's celebration was penalized by Bulgarian referee Kabakov. In the 55th minute of the match, Sayed Abu Farchi equalized Austria's initial advantage with a precise header. After celebrating with his teammates on the pitch, the Israeli striker headed alone to the corner kick to perform his celebration. The Colorado (MLS) player then pulled the flag from the ground, knelt, placed his left hand under it like a billiard cue and aimed with his eyes to simulate a shot.

Një gjest që shkaktoi menjëherë konfuzion në stadium. Në çdo rast, lojtari pati vetëm kohë ta vendoste përsëri flamurin në vend përpara se arbitri t'i tregonte kartonin e verdhë, duke shkaktuar përjashtimin e sulmuesit, i cili ishte ndëshkuar me karton të verdhë edhe katër minuta më parë. Abu Farchi dhe shokët e tij të skuadrës mbetën të hutuar nga ky vendim, por arbitri qëndroi i palëkundur. Gjyqtari e konsideroi atë festim si sjellje josportive. Përjashtimi i lojtarit izraelit, pra, nuk erdhi me karton të kuq direkt për “nxitje të dhunës”, por për një karton të dytë të verdhë të shkaktuar nga mënyra e festimit. Ka shumë konfuzion rreth interpretimit të gjestit të Sayed Abu Farchit: dikujt i është dukur si gjesti i një pushke të drejtuar.

Çfarë thotë rregullorja për festimin me flamurin e këndit

Por atëherë, pse mori kartonin e dytë të verdhë që i kushtoi përjashtimin? Çfarë ndëshkoi arbitri? Rregulli 17 (që lidhet me goditjen e këndit) shpjegon qartë se shtylla e flamurit të këndit nuk duhet të zhvendoset. Nuk është një rregull i shkruar posaçërisht për festimet, kjo është e qartë, por heqja e shtyllës nga toka dhe përdorimi i saj si objekt (si stekë bilardoje ose “armë”) mund të përfshihet lehtësisht në sjelljen josportive ose në festimin e tepruar/provokues.

Pra, nuk ekziston një nen që ndalon automatikisht dhe në mënyrë specifike “heqjen e flamurit pas një goli”, por arbitri ka një hapësirë të gjerë vlerësimi për gjestin dhe kontekstin, në varësi të asaj që sheh. Ai gjithashtu mund të kishte vendosur të mos merrte asnjë masë. Siç ndodhi në vitin 2022 me Neymar: gjatë ndeshjes PSG–Metz (5-0), e vlefshme për javën e fundit të Ligue 1 2021/22, braziliani shënoi një gol dhe shkoi drejt e te flamuri për ta hequr dhe për të imituar gjestin e një të shtëne me armë. Në atë rast, Neymar nuk mori as karton të verdhë dhe as përjashtim.

In the case of Abu Farchi, the referee gave him a yellow card for a gesture he considered unsportsmanlike or provocative (a shot of a billiard cue or a pointed rifle, whichever interpretation). The yellow card is provided for by the regulations for celebrations that are considered excessive. Israel's coach, Ran Ben Shimon, accepted the decision without controversy, explaining: "I completely understand why he was sent off. He raised the flag and waved it: in Europe it is a yellow card. The fourth official explained it to me and I understood it." In fact, this is not exactly the case, but it was a question of a free interpretation of the gesture by the referee. It is true, however, that Abu Farchi has a habit of celebrating in this way. Just a few months earlier, in another match, Abu Farchi had celebrated in the same way and on that occasion too had received a yellow card. But, apparently, he had not learned his lesson.