Vitória defender Cacá required medical attention and received five stitches on his chin following a violent clash with Palmeiras midfielder Maurício at Barradão.
The match, valid for the 21st round of the Brazilian Serie A, concluded with a heated atmosphere behind the scenes. In addition to the tough 4-0 defeat to Palmeiras, Vitória left the field outraged with the officiating, especially for Maurício‘s non-expulsion in the play that resulted in defender Cacá‘s injury, still in the 25th minute of the first half.
President’s Outrage
The president of the Bahia club, Fábio Mota, did not hide his indignation. In a gesture of protest, the executive canceled the press conference that was scheduled for coach Jair Ventura and took the floor to criticize the referee’s decisions. The executive highlighted the severity of the injury suffered by the defender at a moment when the match was still tied.
“Thankfully, Brazil saw the game. Cacá got five stitches on his chin; it wasn’t by chance. It wasn’t intentional; what the players reported was that the referee said it wasn’t intentional. Not intentional, no, but he received five stitches on his chin,” vented the president in a press conference reproduced by the M360 Team.
Red Cards and Rout
The already tense scenario became critical for Vitória during the match. With the officiating keeping Maurício on the field, the Bahia team lost emotional control. Cacá himself ended up receiving a red card after a tough tackle on Jhon Arias. Shortly after, Luan Cândido was also sent off after gesturing “robbery” towards the officials.
With two players down, Leão da Barra had no strength to resist Alviverde’s momentum. Palmeiras took advantage of the numerical superiority to consolidate the 4-0 rout, with goals from Maurício, Fabiano (own goal), Jhon Arias, and Sosa, leaving Vitória in a complicated situation in the Brazilian Serie A table.
