Mega Suspension After Blue Card for Ivan Horvat – Banned until the end of 2026/2027 season!
After Croatian player Ivan Horvat received a blue card in the match between Bregenz and Hard, the independent handball court of the ÖHB (Austrian Handball Federation) has now communicated the consequences. The former Flensburg player will be banned for a long period.
Two teams met in Austrian Play-Off quarter-final series. Alpla Hard won both matches with only one goal difference 24:23 and 29:30.
At a score of 20:20, Hard’s backcourt player Ivan Horvat received the blue card in the 42nd minute after a foul on Markus Mahr. The Bregenz playmaker, who is set to transfer to 1. VfL Potsdam in the summer, had to leave the field bleeding and was transported to the hospital.
The 24-year-old suffered an open, multiple nasal fracture and required surgery. The independent handball court of the ÖHB deemed the foul by Ivan Horvat on Markus Mahr as gross unsporting behavior and imposed a suspension until June 30, 2027.
How the ÖHB Justified the Suspension
The three-member panel of the independent handball court of the ÖHB thoroughly examined the incident, considering numerous pieces of evidence, including the referee’s report, TV footage, a report on the necessary medical treatment and surgery, as well as statements from the accused Ivan Horvat, his club ALPLA HC Hard, and Bregenz Handball.
“Based on the available evidence, the handball court classified Ivan Horvat’s foul as gross unsporting behavior under ÖHB Regulation 7.3.1, which also resulted in a severe injury,” the ÖHB reported. The suspension was set in the mid-range of the prescribed penalty scale.
ÖHB Regulation 7.3.1 states: “Gross unsporting conduct during live game action in behavior towards the opponent according to the rules of the game is punishable by a suspension of up to 2 years, or in the case of a serious injury to the opposing player or team official, a suspension of 8 matches up to 4 years. A serious injury is defined as one that, under Austrian criminal law, qualifies as such.”
A decision can be appealed to the ÖHB Appeals Court within two weeks of delivery, as stated in Article 8.3.5 of the ÖHB Regulations. The suspensive effect of the appeal is expressly excluded by the handball court. This means Ivan Horvat is immediately banned from all competitive matches unless there is a contrary ruling from the ÖHB Appeals Court.
