The beautiful game gets ugly in Brazil

Once again, South Americans who turned up at a game expecting to see some football were bitterly disappointed, as a Brazilian contest between Botafogo and Nautico turned into an exercise in riot policing.

After putting in a perfectly legitimate challenge on a player who proceeded to perform a spasmodic dive, Botafogo defender Andre Luis was sent off. Obviously a little miffed, he showed his dissatisfaction to the home fans, and soon after the cops layed the smackdown on players and fans:

A player was arrested after being sent off in a Brazilian championship match and riot police used pepper spray and truncheons in fights with his team mates on the pitch on Sunday.

Botafogo’s match away to Nautico in Recife was interrupted for 12 minutes by the fighting, which ended with Botafogo defender Andre Luis being bundled out of the stadium with his hands behind his back by around 10 officers.

Luis was arrested and released after questioning, and is expected to bring his ‘passionate’ playing style back to the pitch very soon.

Spoiler bonus: More footballing aggression from south of the equator here and here

[WithLeather via Unprofessional Foul]