Israel Falls to Austria in Nations League Opener, Solomon Cites Refereeing

The Israeli national football team began its 2026 Nations League campaign with a disappointing 3-1 loss to Austria on Thursday. Israel held the score at 1-1 until stoppage time, when they conceded two late goals.

Following the match, Israeli player Manor Solomon expressed frustration with the officiating, particularly regarding the second yellow card shown to teammate Seyd Abu Farhi. "I'm not familiar enough with the rules, but surely in most cases they wouldn't give a second yellow for that," Solomon stated. He added that while refereeing "isn't always in our favor" when playing away, he didn't want to use it as an excuse.

Solomon acknowledged that the team made mistakes, including conceding goals late in both halves, which he described as "painful." He emphasized the team's disappointment but stressed their focus on moving forward. "We know he made a mistake, in hindsight he wouldn't have done it, but we strengthened him, we love him," Solomon said of Abu Farhi, adding that the player would learn from the experience.

Looking ahead to their next match against Ireland, Solomon dismissed any potential political distractions. "We hear what they say and we don't like it, but we don't want to focus on that. We want to focus on football," he said. "Whether they don't support us, say this or that, it doesn't interest me. I want to come and play football, and win for our country."