French Player's Premature "Salute" Celebration Backfires Spectacularly

Here's a soccer story told in photos, with the moral being that you should never celebrate too early, lest you get burned so hard, your children's children will still need regular applications of salve.

It was France vs. Sweden yesterday in the second leg of Euro 2015 U21 qualifiers. Sweden appeared set to go through, until French defender Layvin Kurzawa scored in the 87th minute.

Kurzawa celebrated by putting his hand to his head, either in an "I can't see you" sort of gesture, or as a salute to send the Swedes off.

Kurzawa sold it hard, even getting in the face of Swedish forward John Guidetti.

Here's video of Kurzawa's goal and celebration, and then, less than two minutes later, the pandemonium when Sweden scored right back.

The Swedes reacted exactly as you'd expect: by giving Kurzawa's salute right back to the French.

Guidetti made sure to get in Kurzawa's face:

The entire Swedish side took a salute lap!

Sweden went through. France went home. But not without a parting gift: