A WILD brawl involving players and supporters has marred a cup final in Brazil – with one star seen kicking out at rival fans.
The Santa Catarina State Championship final between Avai and Chapecoense descended into chaos on Saturday night.
The opening leg between the two sides finished 2-2 last week, setting up a tense finale at the Ressacada in Florianopolis.
Bruno Matias gave Chapecoense a second-half lead, only for Avai to hit back through a controversial penalty from Eduardo Brock.
Giovanni Augusto saw red for the visitors in a bad-tempered game, with FOUR players on the benches also given an early shower after clashing over the penalty decision.
Avai ultimately took the title after the 1-1 draw because they finished higher in the league stage.
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And their delighted supporters invaded the pitch to celebrate at full time.
One fan made a beeline towards the travelling Chapecoense contingent, taunting them over the loss.
Video circulated on social media showed fuming midfielder Jorge Jimenez launching into a wild attack on the supporter.
He leapt into the air, kicking the fan hard in the back and knocking him to the floor.
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Jimenez appeared to aim another kick towards the fan while he was on the ground.
And as he walked off the pitch, he kicked out hard at another Avai fan who had come onto the field.
Following the fracas, the club released a statement, saying: “Chapecoense wishes to publicly state that it does not condone any type of violence or aggression.
“Aware of the facts, the club promptly contacted [Jimenez], who expressed regret for his conduct.
“Since the incident, he has reflected on his actions and understands that impulsive reactions are not in keeping with the responsibility he carries as a professional footballer.
“He reiterated his commitment to learning from this episode and avoiding any similar situation in the future.”
Jimenez had started the game for Chapecoense but was subbed off at halftime.
He was left incensed after referee Gustavo Ervino Bauermann sent off Augusto for complaining about the second-half penalty.
Santa Catarina Military Police were needed to remove Augusto from the field, per Globo.
And in their statement, Chapecoense slammed the refereeing performance as “biased” and “full of flaws”.
Jimenez was also given a red card by Bauermann amid the crazy scenes, with the penalty delayed by almost 10 minutes.
Augusto complained after the match: “I didn’t say anything. If I said anything, it was ‘You’re kidding me’.
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“He gave me a yellow card and then a red card. He’s been acting maliciously since the beginning of the game.
“Only we know what’s going on, and he’s simply doing this out of ego and vanity.”
