Copa Bolivia match sees 17 red cards, police use tear gas

A football match in Bolivia was marred by violence which saw a whopping 17 red cards given and police resorting to tear gas to quell the chaos that ensued. A big scuffle broke out between Bolivian teams Blooming and Real Oruro in the Copa Bolivia quarterfinals with Blooming advancing despite this being a draw in an away fixture.

Reports suggest that Oruro’s Sebastin Zeballos and Julio Vila were involved in physical altercations with the opposition team. Coach Marcelo Robledo allegedly confronted a member of the national team’s coaching contingent as well. With the scuffle turning ugly, police officers had to step in with tear gas to control the situation.

The official match score sheet revealed that seven Blooming players were sent off while Oruro lost four. Members of coaching staff also got sent off, taking the total number of reds to 17. A number of players are facing bans too.

Curiously, Zeballos was not admonished despite being the instigator of the fracas.

Published on Nov 28, 2025