Khaberni - Brazilian stadiums witnessed an unprecedented historical incident in the history of professional football, during the "Clásico Mineiro" match held between Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro early on Monday, in the final of the Minas Gerais state championship.
While Cruzeiro managed to clinch the title with a score of (1-0) thanks to a goal by player Caio Jorge in the 60th minute, the last minutes of the match turned into a "battlefield" leading to a world record being broken for the number of red card dismissals.
The "battle" by numbers:
23 red cards: The referee "Matheus Delgado Candansan" issued this massive number of cards in one night, breaking the world record for major professional matches.
Breaking a 72-year-old record: This match surpassed the previous record set in Brazil in 1954, which saw 22 dismissals in a match between Portuguesa and Botafogo.
The 96th minute: Was the actual moment of explosion of the brawl that began with Atlético Mineiro's goalkeeper "Everson" pushing Cruzeiro player "Christian", leading to a mass brawl involving starters, substitutes, and coaching staff.
Despite the difficult victory for Cruzeiro and achieving their 39th title in history, the closing scene overshadowed the sporting achievement, with veteran striker Hulk describing the events as "regrettable", while both teams await disciplinary sanctions and severe financial penalties from the Brazilian federation after this historic number of dismissals, among them prominent were Everson and Lyanco from Atlético's side, and Christian and Lucas Romero from the champion's side.
