53 Red Cards in Brazil Under-20 Match After Mass Brawl Breaks Guinness World Record
A referee showed a total of 53 red cards after a mass brawl at an under-20 match in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, setting a new Guinness World Record in football.
The incident happened on Sunday in the first leg of a state championship semifinal between Uberlandia and Mamore.
In his match report, referee Fernando Patrick Drosghic Modesto said the trouble began early in the second half, when a number of Uberlandia officials invaded the field after one of their players was sent off.
The match was halted for 40 minutes over that incident. After play restarted, Mamore scored in the ninth minute of stoppage time to take a 3-1 lead.
According to reports in Brazilian media, Mamore player Davi taunted Uberlandia players during the goal celebrations, and that sparked the brawl.
After the brawl, 43 players and eight members of the coaching staff were sent off. Two Uberlandia board members were also dismissed, taking the total number of red cards to 53.
Modesto wrote in his report that a generalised brawl broke out in the 54th minute of the second half, making it impossible to show the red cards and to carry out the match-closing protocol.
He added that, owing to all the turmoil and the lack of security, he declared the match ended.
According to the report, a police report was filed over threats made against the referee, and Mamore's team vandalised the dressing room after the match.
The previous Guinness World Record was 36 red cards, set in February 2011 during a fifth-division match in Argentina between Atletico Claypole and Victoriano Arenas.
On Wednesday, Uberlandia said it would forfeit the second leg of the semifinal in what it called a gesture of fair play, because Mamore did not have enough eligible players to field a team.
The forfeit sent Mamore through to the final of the tournament.
Uberlandia also said appropriate disciplinary measures regarding those involved had already been taken internally, because athletic development is, above all, a matter of personal development.
