Atlético Paranaense defender Luiz Alberto was left completely shocked by the scenes of violence that erupted in the stands, as his side faced Vasco da Gama.
The game had to be halted for more than an hour, as the two sets of supporters charged at each other.
Police eventually intervened, while a helicopter was forced to land on the pitch to airlift a fan to hospital. Others were also treated at the stadium.
Luiz Alberto was seen sat on the bench in tears and admits he’s never witnessed anything like this in his long career.
“We tried to tell the fans to stop because things would only get worse,” he said, as reported by ESPNFC. “We looked at the stands and there were no cops. There was nobody there to stop the fighting,”
“I’m playing for 20 years and I’ve never seen anything like this in person. We will have a World Cup in our country and we know these images will be shown everywhere.”
The scenes will add to concerns surrounding fan safety at next summer’s FIFA World Cup.
