There was controversy in Brazilian football at the weekend as Internacional midfielder Mauricio was booked for doing kick-ups in a league game.
On Saturday Internacional beat Athletico PR 2-1 in the Brazilian Serie A, with Edenilson scoring a double.
But 20-year-old Mauricio was involved in a bizarre moment late on in the game. With no pressure on him, the youngster picked up the ball down the left flank and started doing kick-ups.
The referee didn't like the showboating one bit and when the ball went out of play, he showed a yellow card to Mauricio.
Advert
Mauricio, and many of his teammates, were utterly confused at the decision - which means he will now miss the trip to Cuiaba on 17 November.
Joga Bonito - or playing beautifully - is part of the football culture in Brazilian football culture but the man in the middle, Ramon Abatti Abel, felt Mauricio was "acting in a way that shows disrespect for the game".
Advert
He even wrote that as the reason for the booking in his match report.
Brazil's main man Neymar was booked in similar circumstances in February 2020 after attempting a rainbow flick against Montpellier.
Unhappy with the caution, Neymar vented to teammate Marco Verratti, saying: "I play football and he shows me a yellow card! Tell him he can't give me a yellow".
Advert
And only in September, compatriot Lucas Paqueta was also booked for unsporting behaviour when he tried to pull off a rainbow flick against Troyes.
Neymar was watching on and after his previous incident, expressed his frustration over the yellow card.
"This is a very sad scene," the former Barcelona man wrote on Instagram.
"Showing a yellow card for a dribble... a technical move is a solution. It doesn't matter where on the pitch it is performed or in what minute of the game. This happened to me last season. And this season it's Paquetá. Honestly, I don't understand the reasoning. The famous Jogo Bonito is finished. Enjoy it while you can."
Featured Image Credit: Image: TwitterTopics: Brazil
