In an extraordinary start to the second AIFF Super Cup semifinal, FC Goa captain Iker Guarrotxena was sent off in the tunnel before his team’s kick-off against Mumbai City FC at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao on Thursday.
Moments before the teams walked out onto the pitch, commotion broke out at the end of the tunnel as players and officials were seen arguing. It later emerged that Guarrotxena had been shown a red card by referee Pratik Mondal for dissent.
“Everybody saw what he did,” Mondal was heard saying repeatedly as the Spanish forward made a futile attempt to plead his case.
It is learnt that Guarrotxena was first asked to change his inner shorts, which apparently clashed with the colour components of both teams’ kits. His protest against the instruction earned him a straight red card before the match had even begun.
“I saw the referee ask him to change and I thought it would be sorted out there. I then left for the pitch and two minutes later, someone came and said Iker is sent off,” FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez said later. “It was not a normal situation but we could still play with eleven players. The problem now is that we won’t have Iker for the final. To show a red card for this is a little too much, but it is what it is.”
Since the dismissal occurred before kick-off, Goa were allowed to replace Guarrotxena in the starting XI. Marquez signalled to Javier Siverio, originally named on the bench, to take off his bib and step in. Borja Herrera, who took over the captain’s armband, said: “I have never seen anything like this in my life. But I prefer not to speak more on this. They [the team management] will look into it and find a solution.”
Such send-offs before a match are rare in football. One of the most notable recent instances involved former French international Patrice Evra, who was sent off while playing for Marseille against Vitoria Guimaraes in a Europa League match in 2017 after a violent altercation with a supporter. Evra, like Guarrotxena, had been named among the substitutes.
Goa overcame the early setback to beat Mumbai City 2-1 and set up a final clash with East Bengal on Sunday. Guarrotxena, who will be suspended for the final, was seen having a long conversation with match commissioner Goculdas Xiva Nagvencar after the game.
Published on Dec 04, 2025
