Brazilian brawl sees 23 players sent off in one chaotic match

Think three red cards in three Springbok matches was bad? Hold my beer, says Brazilian football.

Bok supporters saw red, literally and figuratively, when locks Lood de Jager and Franco Mostert were dismissed in consecutive matches against France and Ireland at the end of last year. Then Eben Etzebeth copped a deserved sending-off against Wales to complete an unwanted hat-trick of red cards across three Tests.

Three dismissals in three matches felt like a disciplinary crisis for the world champions. But that’s child’s play compared to what unfolded in the Campeonato Mineiro final in Brazil.

When Football turned into Fight Club

Twenty-three players received their marching orders in a single match between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro. Yes, you read that correctly. Twenty-three red cards. One match.

See a video of the chaos on Die Papier

The bizarre scenes erupted in the dying moments of Sunday’s final after Cruzeiro secured a 1-0 victory. What should have been a moment of celebration descended into absolute mayhem as players threw fists like their lives depended on it.

The powder keg ignited when Atletico goalkeeper Everson shoved Cruzeiro’s Christian to the turf and proceeded to kneel on his chest. Not exactly the textbook response to going a goal down.

Within seconds, Christian’s teammates stormed across the pitch like a cavalry charge. The beleaguered keeper soon found himself surrounded by a sea of sky blue shirts in his own penalty area, talk about being under siege.

Then Atletico’s outfield players piled in. Fists flew, boots swung, and players yanked each other around by their collars in scenes more reminiscent of a pub brawl than professional football.

The match that had everything (For all the wrong reasons)

The actual football almost becomes a footnote in this tale of sporting shame. Kaio Jorge netted the match’s solitary goal in the 60th minute, which proved enough to seal the title for Cruzeiro.

But the match report tells the real story: one goal scored in regulation time, 23 players dismissed during stoppage time. The referee brandished more red cards in injury time than most officials show in an entire season.

“It’s a shame,” admitted Atletico striker Hulk after the final whistle. “We can’t set an example like this because it has consequences around the world. We have a responsibility to protect our image and the image of the organisation.”

Hulk’s words carry weight, this wasn’t just a local derby getting heated. This was a state championship final broadcast globally, showcasing Brazilian football at its absolute worst.

Putting things into perspective

So the next time Springbok supporters grumble about three red cards across three internationals, spare a thought for Brazilian football fans who watched nearly half the players on the pitch get sent off in one catastrophic meltdown.

The Bok dismissals were individual moments of poor discipline or dangerous play. This was collective madness that overshadowed what should have been Cruzeiro’s crowning moment.