As well as six goals and glory for one team of prodigies, the final game of the Brazilian under-17 football championship will be remembered for a mass brawl that resembled an MMA fight in a shockingly violent end to the showpiece.
The match between Fluminense and Athletico Paranaense was approaching its finish when wild scenes broke out on the pitch and quickly escalated into a bruising battle, with both squads lashing out in a fist and foot fight.
Fluminense striker Joao Neto was the center of the controversy after he kicked an opponent who fouled him a few seconds earlier, with their altercation quickly descending into a vicious pile-on.
Athletico Paranaense player Joao Gabriel demonstrated his his MMA skills by delivering a wild flying kick straight to the face of Neto, who was sent flying onto the grass and later pictured with scars visible.
Enquanto isso na final do Brasileirão sub-17. pic.twitter.com/Zy7JsAY3BJ
He was then kicked on the ground by another Athletico Paranaense player, Vinicius Amaral, who ran onto the field from the team’s bench.
A total of nine players were sent off following the fracas, delaying the match for ten minutes and causing both clubs to finish with only eight players on the pitch.
Fluminense won both legs of the final 2-1 to take the title with a 4-2 aggregate win.
Que covardia. pic.twitter.com/yNJ5XfP7r4
Joao Neto’nun son durumu pic.twitter.com/CEqO3L0m6T
Victorious right winger Kaka, who finished the competition as top scorer with 12 goals, said the squad was sorry for the scrap.
“First of all, I wanted to apologize on behalf of my teammates for the fight at the end of the match,” he said afterwards.
“But I know that it will not tarnish our good victory and our campaign. We are champions of the Under-17 Brasileirao – an unprecedented title for our club.”
