Football is an intensely thrilling sport. Sometimes situations on the field become so heated that the tension spreads among the players of both teams, occasionally even leading to physical altercations. But what happened this time surpassed all previous records.
Extreme chaos broke out after a football match in Bolivia. As soon as the final whistle was blown, a clash erupted between players of the two teams, and in the end the referee had to show 17 red cards. The situation became so uncontrollable that police had to use tear gas. An unbelievable incident has taken place in South America — 17 players were shown red cards in a single match.
The incident occurred in Bolivia. In the quarterfinals of the Copa Bolivia, Blooming and Real Oruro faced each other. Oruro had to win to reach the semifinals, while Blooming — having won the first leg 2–1 — needed only a draw to advance. The match ended 2–2. Blooming, playing as the visiting team, were about to celebrate reaching the semifinals, but right after the final whistle, tempers flared.
According to Bolivian media outlet El Potosí, punches were being thrown during the fight, and although Real Oruro star Sebastián Zeballos was being restrained by opposition players, he still managed to break free and push others. His teammate Julio Vila was also highly agitated, and the punch he threw turned the whole scene into total chaos.
Oruro coach Marcelo Robledo also became extremely angry and reportedly confronted a member of the Bolivian national team’s coaching staff. He was pushed to the ground during the altercation. Reports say he suffered a shoulder injury and a blow to the head, requiring hospitalization.
The situation on the field became so bad that nearly 20 police officers had to intervene and use tear gas to stop the violence. Blooming coach Mauricio Soria quickly sent his players to the dressing room to calm them down.
According to the official match report, seven Blooming players and four Oruro players were shown red cards. Both teams’ head coaches and their assistants were also sent off — bringing the total to an astonishing 17 red cards.
Since Blooming advanced to the semifinals, at least six of their players have been banned from the remainder of the tournament. Gabriel Valverde, Risset Gómez, Franco Posse, Roberto Melgar, César Romero, and Luis Suárez — all six received red cards for violent conduct during the brawl.
