BELIO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) — Twenty-three players were shown red cards after a prolonged brawl that required the intervention of military police marred the final seconds of the Brazilian soccer match between Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro.
Former Brazil forward Fulk was among the players sent off following the violence, which lasted more than a minute and spread from one end of the field to the other, and coaching staff and security personnel also attended.
“We need to admit our mistakes and learn from them,” Hulk wrote on Instagram on Monday. “What happened yesterday does not represent the values that football should represent. Rivalry is part of the sport, but respect must always trump any emotion.”
Cruzeiro midfielder Cristian challenged Atlético goalkeeper Everson, who responded by slamming his opponent to the ground with a rugby tackle and slamming his knees into his head.
This led to a huge scuffle, with players from both teams punching and kicking each other. Footage shared on social media showed Atletico player Hulk punching an opponent in the back of the head before being kicked in the chest.
Hulk added: “We apologize to everyone who was in the stadium, to those who watched the game on TV and especially to the children who aspire to football. What we saw on the pitch is not the example we want to set.”
According to statistics provided by the teams, Cruzeiro had 12 players sent off, while Atlético had 11.
Cruzeiro won the Campeonato Mineiro final 1-0 and became the champion of Minas Gerais.
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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
