Record 53 red cards were shown in a football match in Brazil
Kyiv • UNN
The Minas Gerais State Championship semifinal match was stopped after a mass brawl. The referee sent off 43 players, 8 coaches and 2 officials.
A football match among under-20 players in Brazil descended into complete chaos: the referee had to show a record 53 red cards after a mass brawl. UNN reports this, citing Reuters.
Details
The brawl took place on Sunday, November 1, during the first leg of the semifinal of the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais championship between Uberlândia and Mamoré.
In his match report, referee Fernando Patrick Drosgic Modesto stated that the disturbances began at the start of the second half, when several representatives of Uberlândia ran onto the pitch after one of their players was sent off.
The match was stopped for 40 minutes and then resumed, with Mamoré scoring in the ninth minute of stoppage time to put their team ahead 3–1.
According to Brazilian media reports, Mamoré player Davi insulted Uberlândia players while celebrating the goal, which sparked a mass brawl and led to numerous red cards.
A total of 43 players and 8 members of the coaching staff were sent off, as well as 2 members of Uberlândia's board, bringing the total number of people dismissed to 53.
"In the 54th minute of the second half, a mass brawl broke out, making it impossible to show the red cards and carry out the match-ending protocol," Drosgic Modesto wrote in his report.
"Therefore, due to all the commotion and the lack of security, I declared the match over," he noted.
Drosgic Modesto added that a police report had been filed over threats against the referee, and that the Mamoré team trashed the dressing room after the match.
The previous Guinness World Record for the most red cards shown in a match was 36, set in February 2011 during a fifth-division match in Argentina between Atlético Claypole and Victoriano Arenas.
On Wednesday, Uberlândia announced that it was withdrawing from the second leg of the semifinal in a "gesture of fair play," as Mamoré did not have enough players to field a team.
By withdrawing, Mamoré advanced to the tournament final.
"The club has also not stood aside: appropriate disciplinary measures against those involved have already been taken within the organization, as sporting development is above all a matter of personal growth," Uberlândia added.