In Brazil, the final of a state championship completely escalated. Players engaged in a wild brawl. A BVB signing was in the thick of it.
Borussia Dortmund has secured the services of a promising young player in Kaua Prates. The 17-year-old left-back will join BVB from Brazil in the summer for up to €12 million. “He is still very young and is one of the most talented players in South America. We are convinced that his skills, ambition, and potential for development make him a great fit for Borussia Dortmund,” said BVB boss Lars Ricken when the club finalized the transfer in February. Before Prates comes to Europe for the new season, he will continue to play for EC Cruzeiro in Brazil – and had a memorable experience on Sunday evening. The defender was right in the thick of it when the final of the Minas Gerais State Championship (a state in the southeast) between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro got completely out of hand: the referee handed out 23 red cards after the final whistle.
The reason for this was a mass brawl on the pitch. Cruzeiro was leading 1-0 shortly before the end, and the last seconds of the six minutes of added time were ticking away when the situation got out of control. Cruzeiro striker Christian ran into Atletico goalkeeper Everson, who then pinned his opponent to the ground with his knees. Players and staff members from both teams rushed over, and there was punching and kicking. It took security guards several minutes to calm the situation down somewhat. There were also reports of disturbances in the stands.
The referee abandoned the game and later noted 23 red cards in the match report. Kaua Prates was among those sent off. The soon-to-be Dortmund player had not been involved in the game, but apparently took part in the mass brawl. The players involved face long suspensions.
Soon-to-be Dortmund player involved in mass brawl: accusations against referee
Former Brazilian international Hulk, now 39 years old and captain of Atletico, was also sent off. He criticized the referee: “I told the referee at the beginning of the game that there would be trouble. He had no personality. If he has to send off one, two or three players, then he should do it! He was afraid to referee the final.” At the same time, the former star striker said: “I can’t remember ever being involved in violent acts in a game. I will never tire of apologizing. We try to calm things down, but when you’re hot-blooded and you see a teammate being attacked, you react automatically. But it could have been avoided.”