Mass brawl in chaotic Brazil state final sees 23 players sent off | OneFootball

Security staff and military police were forced to intervene in a mass brawl that saw 23 players sent off in the Campeonato Mineiro final between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro on Sunday.

The match, which was the final of the Brazilian state football league of Minas Gerais, was sent into chaos late on after a confrontation between Atletico goalkeeper Everson and Cruzeiro’s Christian, in which the ‘keeper pushed the midfielder to the ground and planted his knee on his chest.

Cruzeiro players immediately confronted Everson, shoving him into a goalpost and triggering a wider melee that saw several punches and kicks thrown by members of both clubs as police and stadium staff attempted to separate players.

Referee Matheus Delgado Candancan did not issue any red cards during the chaos, but his report filed after the match showed that 12 Cruzeiro players were sent off, with 11 of the Atletico Mineiro sqaud also shown red cards, according to Brazilian outlet Globo.

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Former Brazil forward Hulk was among those shown throwing punches, while former Nottingham Forest defender Renan Lodi was also among the Mineiro players sent off.

Cruzeiro eventually ran out 1-0 winners thanks to a goal from Kaio Jorge, with the club becoming state champions for the first time since 2019.

Hulk later called the incident “regrettable”, though he criticised the referee for lacking the authority to officiate the game better.

“I told the referee from the beginning of the game that things were going to go wrong. He lacked character. If he has to send off one, two, three players, he should send them off! He was afraid to referee the final,” said the forward, according to Globo.

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However, in the aftermath, Hulk expressed regret over the brawl, adding: “We cannot set that example because it ends up having repercussions all around the world. We have a responsibility to safeguard our image and the image of the institution."

While the final brought an end to the Campeonato Mineiro campaign, both sides are still competing in the Brazilian Serie A, with Cruzeiro in 19th and their rivals in 17th after just four games of the new season. They will meet in the league once again during the weekend of 3 May.