Sporting: confusion, red and blue for Martim Costa – but what is a blue card in handball?

Rare expulsion in the career of the “star” of Portuguese handball. But, in addition to the red, the referee also showed a blue card.

O Sporting received and won this Sunday the Holy Waters by , in the 2nd round of Group A of the final phase of the championship handball.

With 11 goals, Francisco Costa once again stood out in the Alvalade team, which even had a further point advantage (5) over second place, as FC Porto had beaten Benfica (43 to 32) on Saturday and had surpassed its rival.

Sporting winning a game in national handball is not news. So far there have been 24 games, 24 victories, if we combine the two phases of Handball 1.

What was news here was the moment of tension, and some violence, between Martim Costa and Jorge Guerra.

By scoring a goal from the first line, after shooting, Martim was hit in the belly by Jorge Guerra; the Portuguese didn’t like it and reacted immediately, threatening, pulling his shirt by the collar and almost squeezing o neck of the Cuban from Águas Santas, before pushing him.

The two players were expelled.

According to available records, it was only the second time that Martim Costa (as an elderly person) saw a red card; and the other exception was in 2019, when he was still playing for Gaia.

Blue card

They were both expelled – and they both also saw the blue card.

But what is the blue card? A color rarely seen in handball, but which has existed for 10 years.

We went to read the , the International Handball Federation. When there is a red card, there may also be a blue card: “Disqualifications must be communicated in writing to the responsible authorities for due diligence”.

Translation: the pair of referees will deliver a report of disqualification to the Portuguese Handball Federation regarding this moment of the game.

The blue card informs – immediately – that there will be this report and that the federation will analyze the case.

Thus, both Martim Costa and Jorge Guerra run the risk of being suspended for the next rounds.