Lucas Barbosa accepts responsibility for Bragantino-Flamengo melee after 3-0 defeat | OneFootball

Lucas Barbosa accepted responsibility for the flashpoint that followed Red Bull Bragantino's 3-0 win over Flamengo, saying a team-mate's provocation sparked it and that it will not happen again.

According to Coluna Do Fla, as De La Cruz and Vinicinho argued at the final whistle, Bragantino assistant Anderson Marques intervened and delivered slaps to the Uruguayan, who broke free. The assistant then landed a blow to the Flamengo midfielder's face.

Anderson grabbed Vinicinho as if shielding him, after which Flamengo goalkeeper Rossi confronted the Bragantino staffer. The melee escalated by the tunnel entrance and the referee took no action.

Barbosa said the incident began because a team-mate had provoked Flamengo and that the squad told Vinicinho there was no need for it. He added that crowd emotion is one thing, but on the pitch players must respect the size of Flamengo's group.

He described Vinicinho as young and likely to learn, stressed that nothing justifies aggression, and said he might not have seen everything clearly from his vantage point. Barbosa said this was something that perhaps should not happen.

Flamengo now face Santos on Sunday (05) at 17:30, Brasília time, at the Maracanã in the 10th round of the Campeonato Brasileiro.

Source: Coluna Do Fla