Twenty-three players received red cards as a lengthy scuffle requiring the intervention of military police spoiled the final seconds of a Brazilian soccer match between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro.
Former Brazilian striker Hulk was among the players sent off following the violence which lasted more than a minute and spread from one end of the pitch to the other. Substitutes, members of the technical staff and security also intervened.
“We need to own up to our mistakes and learn from them,” Hulk wrote on Instagram on Monday local time. “What happened yesterday does not represent the values that football should embody. Rivalry is part of sport, but respect must always take precedence over any emotion.”
It was sparked by a challenge from Cruzeiro midfielder Christian on Atletico goalkeeper Everson, who responded by tackling his opponent to the ground and dropping both knees to his head.
This led to a mass fight as players from both teams piled together, punching and kicking each other. In footage shared on social media, Hulk, who plays for Atletico, was seen punching an opponent in the back of the head and then receiving a kick to the chest.
“I apologize to everyone who was in the stadium, to those who watched it on television, and especially to the children who admire football. What we saw on the pitch is not the example we want to set,” Hulk added.
According to statistics provided by the teams, Cruzeiro saw 12 players sent off and Atletico 11.
Cruzeiro ended up winning 1-0 in the Campeonato Mineiro final to become Minas Gerais state champions.
P.A.
