Red card madness damaged Brazil’s reputation – Hulk

March 10 – Former Brazil star Hulk admits Sunday’s red card madness in which 23 players were sent off has damaged the image of Brazilian football. 

Tempers boiled over in the final moments of the Campeonato Mineiro final as a mass brawl between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro resulted in an extraordinary number of punishments. 

Mineiro forward Hulk, who was one of those to see red, said: “It’s regrettable. 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.” 

The chaos came in the aftermath of Kaio Jorge’s late decider in Belo Horizonte, sealing a 1-0 win for Cruzeiro and delivering the club its first Minas Gerais state title since 2019. The side, now managed by former Brazil boss Tite, had barely begun celebrating before the final descended into disorder.

The flashpoint came when Atletico goalkeeper Everson clashed with Cruzeiro’s Christian, pushing the midfielder to the ground and kneeling on his chest, prompting an immediate reaction from nearby Cruzeiro players.

Everson was shoved back toward his goalpost as both benches cleared and the confrontation spread, forcing security staff and military police to intervene. 

Referee Matheus Delgado Candançan opted against showing any red cards during the match itself. According to Brazilian broadcaster Grupo Globo, the various moving parts of the melee prevented the referee from administering the sanctions on the pitch, leading authorities to issue the dismissals retrospectively.

Cruzeiro ultimately saw 12 players sent off, including match-winner Kaio Jorge. Their opponents had 11 players given reds, among them former Brazil international Hulk and ex-Atletico Madrid full-back Renan Lodi. 

While the number of dismissals is extraordinary, it still falls short of the world record – that dubious honour belongs to a fifth-tier Argentine clash in 2011, where all 36 players involved were sent off following what the referee could only describe as a “generalised brawl.”

The explosive finale comes at a time when both clubs are already at boiling point domestically. After four matches in the Brazilian Serie A, neither side has recorded a win, with Atletico sitting 17th and Cruzeiro 19th in the early standings.

Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1773143591labto1773143591ofdlr1773143591owedi1773143591sni@g1773143591niwe.1773143591yrrah1773143591.