Abu Farchi Sent Off for Gun Gesture

Saied Abu Farchi headed an equalizer for Israel in the 55th minute against Austria on September 24, 2026, then grabbed the corner flag and mimed firing a gun. Booked four minutes earlier, he got a second yellow and a red, leaving Israel with 10 men. Romano Schmid had scored Austria's penalty before halftime. Phillipp Mwene finished a Paul Wanner cross in the 90th minute and Sasa Kalajdzic scored in stoppage time for a 3-1 win at Raiffeisen Arena in Linz. CONTESTED: The Israel Football Association wrote: "We have contributed to the world and humanity... Unfortunately, we have not yet found a cure for stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy displayed by @IrelandFootball team coach." and "We're not playing with ignorance, hypocrisy and stupidity. We're playing against the coach who embodies them." Heimir Hallgrímsson said "none of us feel comfortable playing in these games." More than 160 Irish sports figures signed an open letter urging a boycott of matches set for September 27 and October 4 in Serbia behind closed doors.