Referee hands out record 53 red cards after chaos at under-20s game in Brazil

An under-20s match in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais descended into chaos, with the referee handing out a record 53 red cards after a brawl.

The incident took place during the first leg of a state ⁠championship semi-final match between ⁠Uberlandia and ​Mamore. In his report the 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 and eventually restarted, with Mamore going on to score in the ninth minute of ​stoppage time to take a 3-1 lead.

According ‌to reports in Brazilian ‌media, the Mamore player Davi taunted Uberlandia players during the goal celebrations, which sparked a brawl and led to a deluge of red cards.

A total of 43 players and eight members of the coaching staff were sent off, and two Uberlandia board members were also dismissed.

“In the 54th minute of the second half, a generalised brawl broke out, making it impossible to show the red cards and ‌to carry out the match-closing protocol,” Drosghic Modesto wrote in his report. “Therefore, owing to all the turmoil and the lack of security, I declared ​the match ended.“

Drosghic Modesto added that a police report had been filed over threats made against him and that Mamore’s team had vandalised the dressing room after the match.

The previous Guinness world record for the most red cards shown in a match was 36, which occurred in ⁠February 2011 during a fifth-division match in Argentina between Atlético Claypole and ​Victoriano Arenas.

On Wednesday, Uberlandia ​said it would be forfeiting the ​second leg of the semi-final in a “gesture of fair play” because Mamore ​did not have ‌enough eligible players ​to field a team. The ​forfeit means Mamore qualify for the final.

Uberlandia said: “The club has also not remained silent: the appropriate disciplinary measures regarding those involved have already been taken internally, because athletic development is, above all, a matter of personal development.”