Video: Massive Brawl Breaks Out in Brazil Soccer Game as Team President Attacks Referee After Controversial Elimination

Brazilian soccer saw a massive brawl on the pitch after a game between a fourth-tier and top-division clubs. The president of the club was also involved in the brawl that saw players and him attacking the match referee. It resulted from the controversial equalizer leading to the elimination of the rioting team. 

Soccer is a game of emotions. Sometimes players and club executives go far to show their sentiments, leading to violent conduct on the pitch. But when the club’s progression against the top division team is at stake in the domestic cup, intensity is high. And if the result goes against the club in the dying moments, it sparks angry reactions. That’s what happened in Brazil.

Players and the president of the club attack referee after a soccer game

A video of the mass brawl between the players and the referee has emerged from Brazil. It was a game between the two Brazilian clubs in the Copa do Brasil first round. Club Sportivo Sergipe, who plays in the Brazilian fourth tier, took on the first-division club Botafogo. 

Sergipe took the lead in the additional time at the end of the first half and was on the brink of qualification to the second round of the domestic cup. The referee added nine minutes at the end of the second half and controversially let the game flow after the nine minutes when Botafogo scored and eliminated Sergipe from the competition. The away team advances in the Brazilian Cup if the game ends in a draw.

It sparked angry reactions from Sergipe players, who ran towards the referee after the final whistle. President of Sergipe, Ernan Sena, also ran towards the pitch and attacked the referee with players. One of the linesmen hit the President with the offside flag during the brawl. There were scenes of chaos as some Sergipe fans also invaded the pitch.

Riot police had to intervene

The enraged Sergipe players and fans were difficult to stop. They also ran towards the Botafogo coach to confront him. Between this chaos, riot police were called in the action, who later escorted rival coach Luis Castro and the players off the pitch. 

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The police also escorted match officials off the field. Sergipe was thirty seconds close to creating a massive setback in the first round of the Brazilian Cup. However, the additional 30 seconds allowed by the referee crashed their dreams, resulting in the fourth-tier club’s elimination and sparking the brawl.

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Let us know your thoughts on the decision of the referee to allow the game beyond the added time.