A huge brawl broke out in a Brazilian youth match on Sunday, after seemingly – and bizarrely – being instigated by a slap from an official.
The game saw Sao Paulo FC social club take on hosts Clube Banespa in an Under-17s clash, and was seemingly uneventful until descending into chaos after a goal was ruled out during injury time.
One youngster appeared to be exchanging stern words with the linesman, before bring his forehead into that of the official, with the entire altercation caught on camera and quickly going viral on social media.
The official then reacts furiously, appearing to lash out and strike the player in the face, with the whole exchange caught on camera from the sidelines.
That one slap then sets off an almighty melee, with the player’s team-mates all turning on the linesman and the refereeing team and within a matter of seconds, one youngster can be seen charging in to plant a flying kick on the official.
The linesman is then quickly surrounded and forced to back up against a fence in horrific scenes, as the players continue to mob him and his refereeing colleagues, who are similarly set upon.
The flare-up came after a goal was disallowed in injury time, before a linesman appeared to strike a player, sparking the brawl
One youngster ran in to plant a flying kick on the official as players swarmed the referees
About 10 seconds into the fight however, the linesman can be seen seemingly landing a clean blow to the face of one of the teenagers, knocking him to the ground, where the official continues to punch him.
The youngster’s team-mates then turn on him to defend their colleague, and he is dragged away while still hitting the teenager.
At this point, the Banespa Clube squad sprint over from the other side of the pitch, with one aiming a half-hearted kick at a Sao Paulo FC social club player, before they retreat and the fight continues.
The melee then thins out, with only one official still appearing to be the target of the youth team’s fury, and one player looks to be trying to bring some calm to the situation, even shoving his team-mates away pretty forcefully.
One adult on the sidelines then attempts to kick the referee through a fence, though seems to have done little to no damage.
The footage of the incredible fight then cuts, with the whole clash lasting around 30 seconds.
Such was the apparent scale of the violence that the Military Police were called to the scene by witnesses, according to Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte, with all individuals involved taken to the police station.
The outlet claims that the incident was reported for investigation in contravention of the Brazilian Penal Code articles 129 (bodily harm) and 147 (threats).
The club is not affiliated with Brazilian giants Sao Paulo FC but formed by members of the club
The linesman continued to land blows on one youngster before an adult on the sidelines seemingly tried to aim a kick at the official through a fence
The Sao Paulo Interclub Youth Football Association – responsible for the organisation of the social club championship in the Brazilian city – condemned the incident, promising a ‘rigorous investigation’ which could result in legal sanctions.
It added that the three referees, who were operating as part of a third-party company, had been banned from the competition.
‘Sports must be a safe and educational environment for everyone,’ the body stated.
‘Aggressive or discriminatory attitudes on the part of athletes, family members, fans, coaching staff or managers will be rigorously investigated, with administrative, disciplinary and legal penalties being applied, as provided for in the regulations.
‘All infractions committed during the competitions will be rigorously investigated, and those responsible will be subject to disciplinary, administrative and legal sanctions, in accordance with the regulations,’ he added.
Sao Paulo FC social club are not officially affiliated to the senior side of the same name, the Brazilian giants later added in a statement of their own, with the amateur side formed by members of the club.
