A mass brawl broke out in the Campeonato Mineiro final between Cruzeiro and Atletico Mineiro on Sunday, leading to a record 23 red cards.
Cruzeiro faced their fierce rivals in Belo Horizonte looking to become Campeonato Mineiro champions for the first time in seven years. They managed to do just that as they won 1-0, with Kaio Jorge’s goal 14 minutes after half-time proving to be the difference between the two sides.
There were unsavoury scenes in the final moments of the clash, though, as players from both sides came to blows in wild and chaotic scenes.
Mass Brawl Breaks Out in Campeonato Mineiro Final
It all kicked off between the two sides in the final moments when Christian collided with Everson. Everson saved a shot from Matheus Pereira and Christian made contact with the Atletico goalkeeper as they battled for the loose ball.
Everson reacted very badly as he kneed his opponent while he was on the ground and shouted at him. His actions sparked a mass brawl with players from both teams involved in shoving, punches, and kicks.
Arguably the most high profile player on the pitch was Hulk. The Brazilian, who accrued 49 caps for his country, was at the centre of the conflict as he punched opponent Lucas Romero, sending him to the ground. The 39-year-old, considered one of the strongest players in football history, was also kicked by Lucas Villalba during the melee.
After a lengthy stoppage, the referee finally blew the whistle as Cruzeiro were crowned state champions for the 39th time. No player was shown a red card on the pitch, but a match report from the referee has now confirmed 23 red cards, with 12 players from Cruzeiro sent off and 11 from Atletico Mineiro.
The tally is the most in Brazilian football history, eclipsing the record of 22 red cards in Portuguesa and Botafogo’s clash back in 1954.
Hulk Speaks Out After Mass Brawl
Hulk
Hulk apologised for the mass brawl following the match. He said, per Itatiaia Esporte:
“I don’t recall ever participating in violence like that at a football match I attended. I don’t. It’s regrettable, and I will never tire of apologising. Of course, we are defending our colors, we will defend them to the death. We try to calm things down, but our blood runs hot, we see a teammate being attacked, and we automatically react. We have to defend our teammate and the colours of our team.”
Hulk also blamed the referee, Matheus Delgado Candançan, saying he was responsible for the unsavoury scenes.
“It could have been avoided, it could have been avoided. I never tire of saying that the main culprit in everything that happened is Matheus, the referee. I had spoken to him at the beginning of the second half, ‘if you don’t have control of the game, forget it.’ There started being slaps in the face, pushing, and he did nothing.
“It was a very poorly played game, very disjointed. It looked like the friendly in Orlando, all fighting and the referee doing nothing. It’s ugly, it’s ugly for more than 50,000 fans watching, ugly for those watching at home, ugly for those who like to play football. If there’s a fight, and the referee lets it go, it’s ugly. There was no game.”
Cruzeiro manager Tite added: “I regret it. I didn’t want it to happen this way. It was very late in the game. It could have been avoided.
“Can I express my feelings? If the referee is a little more experienced, he ends the game at a specific moment when there’s no contact or conflict. Perhaps he lacked a little experience. That’s why he ended the game soon after.
“He’s young, he refereed well, but he lacked a little more experience to make the spectacle better and end it at an opportune moment. Regardless of the conflict, there were mistakes on both sides.”
Tottenham have been handed a major blow in their efforts to sign Marcus Rashford this summer, according to the i Paper, as the Manchester United ace is not currently open to join the club.
It comes as Spurs have been linked with the winger as a potential option to improve the forward ranks, as talks continue over the signing of some key players up front.
There is also interest in Cody Gakpo, who offers slightly more experience. Then there’s Rashford, who is available on the market, but he has seemingly made his mind up over a deal in North London.
It’s stated that the 28-year-old doesn’t want to join another Premier League club, despite his previous success in the division, as he looks for an exit outside of England.
It follows on from Rashford’s successful loan spell at Barcelona, which saw him become a useful squad option for the club, where he could enjoy his football once again.
However, the Blaugrana opted against a permanent deal to sign the Man United star, who had a permanent clause in his loan move, with a move for Anthony Gordon going through instead.
Barcelona are claimed to be open to another loan move for Rashford, though the Red Devils prefer an exit in the region of £40 million, which could drop to £25 million in the coming weeks.
It means Tottenham will miss out on a move, unless the player’s stance changes in the near future. That said, it will save the club on wages.
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Rashford Wage Boost
Nathan Ray Seebeck via Reuters
Tottenham’s move for Rashford would’ve been expensive in the long-term, not due to the transfer fee, but due to the likely wages the club would have to take on.
It’s a monumental amount that would smash through the current wage structure for the Lilywhites, as they look to invest even more in the market.
However, with Rashford seemingly turning down the possibility of moving to Tottenham and other Premier League clubs, that may save the club a huge amount that can be invested elsewhere in the squad.
Cody Gakpo’s girlfriend, Noa van der Bij, has posted an emotional statement to confirm that their son has passed away during pregnancy.
The Liverpool star and his partner announced in May that they were expecting another boy. They already have one son, Samuel, who was born in 2024.
Gakpo is currently representing the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup, while Van der Bij is in the United States of America to support him from the stands. The latter took to Instagram to share the news that their baby, who they named Elijah Raphael Gakpo, had passed.
Cody Gakpo and Noa van der Bij Lose Son
Jay Biggerstaff (IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters)
Van der Bij posted to her Instagram story on Saturday afternoon, saying: “With broken hearts, we share the devastating news that our baby boy passed away during pregnancy. Thank you for your love and support. Elijah Raphael Gakpo Forever loved. Forever our son.”
She then shared a heartbreaking story of how the couple and their son, Samuel, went to light a candle at church and came across another little boy called Elijah. Her next post stated:
“We went to church to light a candle. Afterwards, we walked to the church playground with our son Samuel. There was only one other child there. His name was Elijah.
“There could not have been a more beautiful sign from God He reminded us that our little boy is never far away.”
A billionaire tennis player has chosen not to share a hotel with her Wimbledon competitors, previously claiming that she needs better facilities to help her recover efficiently and effectively.
Staying at the official Wimbledon hotel is the default expected choice for many of the tournament participants. It serves as a financial necessity for many lower-ranked players, juniors, and doubles specialists who rely on the tournament’s organisers to cover the expensive costs of hotels during their time competing.
This does rule out those that can afford to prepare for the tournament while prioritising comfort over free accommodation.
World’s Richest Tennis Player Chooses Her Own Hotels
Andrew Couldridge via Reuters
From Monday, as the tournament gets underway, the widely considered world’s richest tennis star will be staying in a premium, independent hotel of her own choosing, and will be looking to improve on her best-ever run to the quarter-finals in 2023.
She will enter the prestigious tournament as fourth seed, but has still yet to reach a major championship, with her run to the US Open final in 2024 being the closest she has ever come.
She believes that choosing her own hotel room, away from the other players, could lead to success, explaining that as she has become older, the small details matter, like having a better pillow and a quiet space to relax, with both being vital for recovery.
Why She Chooses Her Own Hotels
“We’re either on the court or we’re in the hotel room,” she said. “It’s such a big part of our lives, and as I’ve gotten older, a good hotel has become more of a priority.
“When you’re 20, and you’re just starting to travel, you’re not complaining that much: you’re more out there grinding and embracing life on tour. Once you hit 30 and kind of need a better pillow, that stuff honestly becomes really important.”
During last year’s French Open, Jessica Pegula, the daughter of the NFL Buffalo Bills owner, Terry Pegula, first decided to take this approach before realising how mentally draining it had become to share her space with her direct rivals.
“Oh my gosh, being away from everyone else is a massive thing for me,” Pegula admitted. “I think that’s what maybe sparked this, as well. I just felt like, ‘I can’t do [player hotels] anymore.’
Szymon Gorski via Reuters
“When you’re staying at a tournament hotel, I feel like it’s so mentally draining. It’s not like anyone is a problem.”
The American star is scheduled to come up against unseeded Czech Darja Vidmanova at 11am on Monday.
The 32-year-old has amassed over $2 million worth of prize money so far in her career and has really highlighted the importance of her recent decision.
“If you were going to work with someone, you would necessarily want to eat breakfast with them, practice with them, have lunch, go to the locker room, and the physio room with them, and see them in the elevators and the hallways.
“I don’t think people realise that shouldn’t happen, not with the people you’re working and competing with every single week. We play pretty much every week together, and so, all of that together, you’re ready to lose it.”
