A referee issued 53 red cards in a second-division semifinal of the Minas Gerais state championship between Uberlândia and Mamoré — a historic record for football, infohub.kz reports.
The mass sendings-off followed a brawl that erupted after Mamoré's third goal. The scorer, Davi, celebrated by making provocative gestures toward the opposition and insulting the other team's players.
According to the referee's match report, the mass scuffle broke out in the 54th minute of the second half. It prevented the official from immediately issuing the red cards and completing the procedure to end the match. The referee decided to stop the game because of safety risks. Those involved in the brawl punched and kicked each other and threw various objects at players and coaches.
As a result, the referee showed red cards to 24 members of Uberlândia and 29 of Mamoré, a record for football. The previous mark was set in 2011, when 36 people were sent off.
It is noted that this time the red cards went not only to players on the pitch but also to substitutes, coaching staff members and club managers.