A record 51 red cards were issued during a chaotic semi-final first leg in Brazil’s Minas Gerais Under-20 Championship, with 43 players and eight members of coaching staff dismissed. The match between Uberlandia and Mamore was later abandoned by referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto.
According to the referee’s report, clashes began in the second half after Mamore’s Davi taunted the opposing bench while celebrating his team’s 3-1 lead. Uberlandia goalkeeping coach Paulo Sergio Dias Dos Santos ran onto the pitch to confront him, triggering a wider brawl. Three players had already been sent off earlier in the match.
The game was paused for around 40 minutes before being abandoned. Brazilian outlet O Tempo reported that military police were called following extensive damage at Parque do Sabia Stadium. A police report listed 14 broken doors, damaged shower facilities and windows, as well as destroyed benches, tables and chairs.
The previous record cited for red cards in a football match was 36, in a 2011 fifth-division game between Argentina’s Club Atletico Claypole and Victoriano Arenas.
Uberlandia have conceded the second leg because Mamore have only seven players available following the dismissals. The club described the decision as a “gesture of fair play”; Mamore will advance to the final, while Uberlandia will focus on the third-place match.
Sources: BBC Sport.