A youth football match in Brazil ended in a mass brawl, abandonment and 51 red cards. Forty-three players and eight members of the coaching staffs were sent off during the match between the Under-20 teams of Uberlândia and Mamoré.
Later reports by CNN Brasil and “Folha de S.Paulo” also included two members of Uberlândia’s management in the tally. This brought the total number of people shown red cards to 53. The discrepancy stems from the way the sanctions were recorded in the initial reports and in the subsequent publications.
The conflict erupted in stoppage time after Mamoré scored its third goal to win 3–1. The brawl began near the substitutes’ benches and quickly engulfed players and members of both coaching staffs.
According to the referee’s report, six ball boys also became involved in the melee. Chairs and stretchers were thrown during the disturbances, while the tension continued for around 40 minutes. The referee abandoned the match after determining that he could not guarantee the safety of those involved.
“As a result of the complete chaos and lack of security, I abandoned the match,” the referee wrote in the match’s initial report.
According to “Folha de S.Paulo,” the previous reported record was 36 red cards in a match in the fifth tier of Argentine football in 2011. The new incident is being described as a record for an official football match.
Following the incident, Uberlândia withdrew from the second leg of the semifinal in the Under-20 Second Division championship of the state of Minas Gerais. The club cited the fact that, because of the suspensions, Mamoré was left with only the minimum number of players required to start the match.
“The club chose not to play because it believes that the values it stands for must come before any sporting result,” Uberlândia said in an official statement quoted by CNN Brasil. Mamoré were declared finalists, while Uberlândia continue in the third-place play-off.
The Minas Gerais federation considers the automatic suspensions served, even though the second leg did not take place. This means that the sanctioned players and staff members may be available for the final or the third-place match. Uberlândia’s next home fixture at Parque do Sabiá Stadium must be played behind closed doors, and the case is also due to be reviewed by the Sports Court of the state of Minas Gerais.