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The Dirtiest Game In Football History Saw The Referee Dish Out 36 Red Cards

The Dirtiest Game In Football History Saw The Referee Dish Out 36 Red Cards

Referee Damian Rubino is a Guinness World Record holder.

Josh Lawless

Josh Lawless

The dirtiest game in football history saw the referee dish out a ridiculous 36 red cards.

In the Argentine fifth division back in 2011, Claypole and Victoriano Arenas were doing battle and things got incredibly spicy on the pitch - to the point official Damian Rubino was brandishing red cards left, right and centre.

He sent off one player for two yellow cards in the first half and then a crazy brawl erupted in the second half as wild tackles and lunges continued to fly in.

Players, managers coaches, subs and even some fans got involved - with punches and kicked thrown repeatedly.

Not standing for it, Rubino made the decision to send off all 22 players and also gave marching orders to a further 14 people - a combination of substitutes and coaches who had played their part in their fracas.

Recalling the events that happened, Rubino told the BBC: "We stopped so players could get some water because it was very, very hot. One of the players was very angry and he tried to punch one of the coaches.

"The player who had been expelled in the first half, No.7, he was there watching the game and stood on the other side of the fence - without his uniform as he had changed into civilian clothing.

"When I whistled to finish the game, he came into the pitch and approached one of the players and punched him in the face.

"All the other players wanted to hit him so they started chasing him and it was a huge melee. He escaped to the locker room and the teammates were trying to defend him.

"I didn't show any red cards there and there because it could increase violence. Things calmed down because the police was there.

"When the brawl finished, we went inside to the locker room and that's when we decided to give a red card for all of them."

There was some talk at the time that the decision would be reversed but Rubino remains a world record.

Another man the record books for a red card related achievement is Colombian Gerardo Bedoya, who is officially the dirtiest player in history after being sent off 46 times in his playing career.

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Topics: Football News, Football