Gabriel Kanichowsky (foto: Posnetek zaslona)
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Gabriel Kanichowsky sparked outrage in Turkey after his goal celebration against Beşiktaş, with calls for UEFA to impose a hefty penalty for his "military salute."
Gabriel Kanichowsky, an Israeli midfielder playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, has found himself at the center of controversy after a goal celebration during his team’s 3-1 victory over Beşiktaş. The 23rd-minute strike, which gave Maccabi the lead, was followed by Kanichowsky performing a military salute directed at the Israeli flag.
The gesture has drawn comparisons to a previous incident involving Turkey’s national team, whose players performed similar military salutes during a match against France. That act was deemed "politically inappropriate behavior" by UEFA, resulting in a €50,000 fine for the Turkish Football Federation and sanctions against the players involved.
Turkish media has reacted furiously to Kanichowsky’s celebration, calling on UEFA to impose similar penalties on the Israeli player and his club. The incident has reignited debates over political gestures in football and whether UEFA’s disciplinary actions are consistently applied across similar situations.
The match itself, which was played in Hungary as Beşiktaş could not host games in Turkey, ended in a 3-1 defeat for the Turkish side. Rafa Silva scored Beşiktaş’s only goal, while Dor Peretz and Wessley Patati joined Kanichowsky on the scoresheet for Maccabi.
It remains to be seen whether UEFA will respond to the calls for action, but the controversy has added tension to an already politically charged atmosphere in football.