Even before kick-off
Wrong underpants: Player gets red card
Updated 12/7/2025 – 7:08 a.mReading time: 1 Min.
Curious scene in the Indian Super Cup: A player sees red before kick-off. The reason was his clothing.
When the Indian FC Goa players had already lined up in the tunnel to the stadium, the referee noticed something. Iker Guarrotxena, the team’s Spanish captain, wore underpants under his player shorts, which the referee disapproved of.
As Indian media reported, the referee was bothered by the color – and gave the player a red card. According to FIFA rules, all visible clothing must have the same base color as the one above it. The Spanish player’s shorts were blue, similar to Mumbai City’s shorts. There was a discussion between the athlete and the official. Guarrotxena apparently refused to change clothes and the referee took action.
“I saw the referee asking him to change and thought that would settle the matter. Then I went to the pitch and two minutes later someone came and told me that Iker had been sent off,” FC Goa head coach Manolo Marquez was quoted as saying in The Sportstar. The red card was “a little too much,” said the coach.
Because kick-off had not yet come, the coach was able to make a substitution and Guarrotxena gave up his captain’s armband. The incident still has consequences: the captain is now suspended for the next game. This is, of all things, the final of the Super Cup. With a 2-1 win against Mumbai, FC Goa reached the final and will face East Bengal there. But Guarrotxena will only be allowed to watch.
