A derby game featuring two of Brazil’s biggest clubs had to be abandoned on Sunday when home team Vitoria had five players sent off.
A mass brawl started after Vinicius equalised with a penalty for visitors Bahia to make the scoreline 1-1 in a Campeonato Baiano clash with Vitoria in Salvador.
Vinicius was sent off with fellow goalscorer Denilson, along with Kanu and Rhayner from Vitoria.
The referee also showed red cards to Bahia’s Lucas Fonseca, Edson and Rodrigo Becao.
Vitoria later had Bruno Bispo and Uillian Correia dismissed.
FIFA rules state that a match cannot start or continue “if either team consists of fewer than seven players”.
Bahia felt Vinicius had been hard done by, tweeting soon after the abandonment that the midfielder had been “expelled for headbutting his opponents’ fists.”
They facetiously described foes Vitoria as “the pride of Bahian football” and called the situation a “joke”, illustrating their point with a clown emoji.
Before the game Vitoria coach Vagner Mancini had told the club website: “The important thing is to be focused. On the pitch both teams play by the same rules, with 11 on each side.”
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