The Brazilian football scene was the setting for an unusual episode that will be recorded for a rather uncommon reason: the number of expulsions. A match in the Under-20 Second Division Championship of Minas Gerais ended with 51 red cards, after a widespread fight forced the referee to suspend the game prematurely.
The clash between Uberlândia and Mamoré took place on November 1, for the first leg of the series, and reached the 54th minute, when a dispute between players and members of both coaching staffs escalated into a brawl. The situation quickly spiraled out of control and also involved people who were around the playing field, including some ball boys.
According to the Brazilian media O Tempo, the trigger was Mamoré's third goal, which put them ahead 3-1. After scoring, Davi Fernandes Bittencourt made provocative gestures towards the Uberlândia bench, sparking a reaction from his rivals. From there, insults, shoves, and assaults ensued, involving practically everyone present.
Given the magnitude of the incidents, the referee decided to call off the match and showed 51 red cards: 43 to players and eight to coaching staff members. In this way, the match far exceeded the Guinness World Record of 36 expulsions, set in a Primera D match in Argentina between Claypole and Victoriano Arenas in 2011.
However, the scandal did not end with the suspension. The Parque do Sabiá Stadium, the venue for the clash, suffered significant material damage despite the intervention of the Military Police of Minas Gerais. The venue's administrator filed a report detailing damage to approximately 14 doors, as well as toilets, sinks, faucets, showers, lockers, wooden benches, and part of the electrical wiring. Damage was also reported to stretchers and two hot tubs.
The recent precedent
This is not the first incident of this nature involving Brazilian football and teams from Minas Gerais this year. In early March, the classic match between Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro, for the final of the Campeonato Mineiro, also ended in a brawl.
Although the referee did not show red cards during the incidents, the subsequent report recorded 23 expulsions, all corresponding to players from both teams. The fight began in the first minute of stoppage time, following an altercation between goalkeeper Everson and midfielder Christian, making the match the one with the most expulsions in the history of Brazilian football up to that point
