23 red cards in a single match! Brazilian state league turns into a fighting tournament, Hulk involved in mass brawl scandal.

Written by Han Bing. 23 red cards in one match! On March 9th morning Beijing time, former Chinese Super League player Hulk, participating in the Minas Gerais State League final in Brazil, also became one of the creators of this shameful record in Brazilian football.

In this match, Atlético Mineiro, where Hulk plays, faced their city rival Cruzeiro in the final. During the 6-minute stoppage time, Cruzeiro was leading 1-0. The scandal erupted when Cruzeiro midfielder Cristian attempted a shot in the penalty area and collided with Atlético Mineiro goalkeeper Everson. The latter became furious, rose up and tackled the opponent from behind, even pressing his knees against the opponent's chest and refusing to let go.

Everson's violent act immediately triggered a massive brawl between players of both teams. Cruzeiro's Argentine captain Romero率先飞踢 Everson. The conflict started near Atlético Mineiro's goal and spread to the penalty area, midfield, and even outside the field. Former Shanghai Port foreign player Hulk also participated in the brawl. He first punched Cruzeiro captain Romero from behind, causing him to fall. Afterwards, Hulk was连续飞踹 twice by Cruzeiro's Argentine defender Villalba. When he tried to retaliate, he was separated by his team's staff and security.

After the conflict ended, referee Candan桑 announced the end of the match but did not issue red cards. Post-match, based on the conflict situation, Candan桑 recorded issuing 23 red cards in the referee's report. Cruzeiro received 12, Atlético Mineiro received 11. Seven of Cruzeiro's starting 11 players received red cards, including the 38-year-old veteran goalkeeper Cássio, Brazilian national midfielder Gerson who was purchased for 26 million euros from Zenit St. Petersburg in the winter window, defender Bruno, and substitute left-back Platts who will join Dortmund this summer. Five of Atlético Mineiro's starting 11 players received red cards, including goalkeeper Everson who initiated the entire brawl, former Atlético Madrid wing-back Lodi, Ecuadorian national midfielder Franco, right-back Preciado, right-winger Mindá, Paraguayan national defender Alonso, and captain Hulk.

The Brazilian Football Association has not officially announced the specific suspension periods for the 23 red-carded players. However, as the match was broadcast globally and reported worldwide, the impact is extremely negative, and it can be imagined that the penalties will be very severe. Hulk, who received a red card for punching an opponent during the match, regained composure after the match and expressed some regret: "I have never seen such large-scale stadium violence in my career. We cannot become an example in this way because it will affect the whole world. We have the responsibility to protect ourselves, as well as the image of the club and Brazilian football."

Brazil's "Globo Esporte" called this brawl the biggest scandal in Brazilian football in recent years. Uruguay's "El País", which leads the selection of South America's Footballer of the Year, bluntly stated that Atlético Mineiro goalkeeper Everson, who triggered the brawl, "went completely crazy." The British "The Athletic" described the brawl as an "MMA tournament." Portugal's "O Jogo" emphasized that Hulk, who previously played for Porto, was one of the main protagonists in the brawl. Because of this brawl, Atlético Mineiro's six consecutive state league championships ended. The 39-year-old Hulk has received 12 red cards in his career, including 2 direct red cards, one of which was from this brawl. It is worth mentioning that during his 4.5 seasons at Shanghai Port, he never received a red card in 145 matches.

23 red cards in a single match broke the Brazilian record of 22 red cards in one match. That record was held by two matches: the 1954 Rio-São Paulo State Championship match between Portuguesa and Botafogo, and the 1971 match between Afai and Figueirense.

According to Guinness World Records, the most red cards in a single match occurred on February 27, 2011, in the 23rd round of Argentina's Primera D (5th tier league). Club Atlético Claypole and Arenas Victory had no prior恩怨, but referee Rubino expelled as many as 36 players. Two players were expelled in the first half. In the second half, a brawl erupted involving players, coaches, staff, and even fans. Ultimately, 18 players from each team were expelled, including all 11 starters and all 7 substitutes. Moreover, this number only includes players; both coaches also received red cards from the referee.

In contrast, European football rarely sees such a high number of red cards. On March 16, 2002, during an English First Division (second tier league) match between Sheffield United and West Bromwich Albion at the 82nd minute, because Sheffield United already had 5 players expelled, only 6 remained on the field with no substitutes available, the match was提前结束. This match, called the "Battle of Bramall Lane" by British media, is the only match in England's century-long professional league history被迫中止 due to too many red cards. It is worth noting that新任 Beijing国安 coach Montgomery was on Sheffield United's bench witnessing this historic moment.