BUENOS AIRES — An Argentinean referee set a new world record by sending off 36 players during a soccer game in Buenos Aires after it turned into an all-in brawl, Sky News reported Friday.
An already bad-tempered game between Victoriano Arenas and Claypole descended into a fight between players in the second half as Claypole led 2-0.
Enraged fans soon jumped into the fray vaulting the barriers and joining their heroes in an impromptu fight club.
The swamped referee, Damian Rubino, gave up on the whistle and red carded all the players, substitutes, coaches and technical staff.
After the fight, Victoriano Arenas manager Domingo Sganga claimed Claypole’s players “wanted to kill me.”
The shaken manager claimed he begged police to lock the out of control players in the locker room.
But rival Claypole boss Sergio Micieli appeared to have been at a different game as he observed, “Most players were trying to separate people. The ref was confused.”
The previous world record for the number of red cards was held by a 1993 game in Paraguay in which 20 players were sent off.
