Mass brawl leads to 23 red cards for Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro players in Brazil

"The confrontation on Sunday in Belo Horizonte was sparked deep in stoppage time of Cruzeiro's 1-0 win when Atletico's goalkeeper Everson rugby-tackled Christian to the ground after the midfielder collided with him when contesting a ball the keeper had spilled. Everson kneeled on Christian, catching Christian's face, then shouted at his prone opponent while applying pressure to Christian's back."

"A brawl that began next to the goal spilled well inside the other half, with players kicking, punching and pushing while security staff and others tried to separate them. The violence, which also involved substitutes and members of the coaching staff, lasted for more than a minute and O Globo reported that although the game was completed without sendings-off, the referee retrospectively issued 23 red cards, 12 to Cruzeiro players and 11 to Atletico players."

"It's regrettable, I have never seen violence like that in any football game, Atletico's former Brazil forward Hulk said. 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."

During the Campeonato Mineiro final in Belo Horizonte, a massive brawl erupted in stoppage time after Atletico Mineiro's goalkeeper Everson rugby-tackled Cruzeiro midfielder Christian following a collision over a loose ball. Everson knelt on Christian's back while applying pressure to his face, prompting angry reactions from Cruzeiro players who confronted and pushed the goalkeeper into the net. This triggered a widespread melee involving players, substitutes, and coaching staff that lasted over a minute, with participants kicking, punching, and pushing across the field. Although the match concluded without immediate sendings-off, the referee retrospectively issued 23 red cards: 12 to Cruzeiro and 11 to Atletico players. Cruzeiro won the match 1-0. Notable figures including Atletico's Hulk and Cruzeiro's coach Tite commented on the incident, expressing regret about the violence.

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