Seeing Red

an easy yaw. And your second new belief, starting approximately half an hour from now, is that red cards are more exciting than goals. It's a yellow card. Wait a minute, he's taking another card out for bacam. It's a red card. It's pushing and shoving and arguing. A yellow card to chatty, admit the mela. To convince you, let's look at the game with the most red cards in World Cup history.

It got a thank you dot coast. It is at Lastia Portugal versus the Netherlands in the two thousand and six World Cup, sixteen yellows, four reds to Melee's uncounted crates of Champagne a Guinness World Record, a PhD in petagogy, an almighty bruhaha, and a partridge in a pear tree. I'm Nando Vila and this is the best soccer podcast in the worlds were then, but it's still live, Christiano Ronaldo.

Yes oh yea four A m April four people of the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg in the Holy Roman Empire awoke to a space battle playing out across the dawn. Two blood red semicircle arcs lights glimmered and shot across the sky. UFOs danced in front of the sun space orbs. They fell to the earth in a cloud of smoke. A large black triangle appeared. Sights and wonders. Ten days later, Hans Glazer recorded it in a woodcutting. These were like

early broadsheets. They often recounted astrological mystery ease which primitive humans could not grasp. The whole event was most likely a SunDog or a part helia, which are halos of sunlight caused by refraction in ice crystals in the atmosphere, especially when the sun is near the horizon. It became known as the Battle of Nuremberg. Nine pm June and six Franken Stadion, Nuremberg. The World Cup slogan that year

was a time to make friends. The match that day set records for total cards and for the most red cards in World Cup history. I think it's fair to say no one made any new pals. It became known as the Battle of Nuremberg. Sorry, very unusual and very emotional, and it's Tory stood out. This is Michael Yoakin, freelance for the little right cho That's what I do for leaving. I'm just right about. The World Cup that year was in Germany, the Holy Roman Empire having long since dissolved.

By two thousand and six. Hey remember two thousand and six, a little site called twitter dot com launched and rotted all our brains. Google bought YouTube, Disney bought Pixar. Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet. Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter was killed by a stingray. Dick Cheney shot a man in the face while quail hunting. You asked for a wee but got apples to apples on Christmas instead. Hannah Montana debut on the Disney Channel. George Cluney was

correctly People's sexiest man alive. Shaquira's hips told the absolute truth while you listened on your Microsoft Zooon MP three player, Britney spears and kay Fed broke up, Saddam Hussein was hanged, and Italy won the World Cup. Disney den z Don closed his playing career by headbutting Marco Madazi in the chest and silently walking down the tunnel. And perhaps the most famous red card in soccer history, Marco Matarazi Ye, it's crushed Bisa Don. But that was two weeks later.

We're still talking about the Round of sixteen here, which had other red cards, sloppy of red cards, sillier. But you know, as we know, it's not the size of the the dog in the fight. It's the fight in the dog. And there was a lot of fight in all the dogs as far as I can recall. In that game. It wasn't in football terms and edifying spectacle, but it was, my god, it was good to watch in many other ways because football is about passion, it's

about rivalry, it's about drive and desire to win. And I think that every now and then this is probably why people want, you know, they love it. When they dropped the gloves in hockey and that every now and then it's nice when we see this is James Richardson, the host of the Totally Football Show. You know, football

can be quite sanitized, sometimes can be quite professional. So when it's clear how much passion, how much how much humanity there is kind of smoldering away under those kind of polished pr exteriors, I for one, quite like that. I like a rule. A brawl is exactly what portugal defender for Anno made. I called it. This was the last chance for Portugal's Golden generation. A remarkable crop of incredible players came through the youth system at the same time.

They won back to back Under twenty World Cups in but by now Luis Figo, their best player, was well into his mid thirties. Ruey Costa had retired already. Some new young talents had emerged, like this kid named Cristiano Ronaldo, then a one. He was a finicky talent, step over happy, but had something special. I wonder whatever happened to him, especially given the like's hair of twinkled toes. Ronaldo Portugal swatted aside the group stages, winning three in a row.

Luis Figer Plezza it's newis Figo, It's Dicko Magniffson. Twenty one year old Cristiano Ronaldo waits for referee poolas whistle composes himself and scores. She now took the ball armed and almen On who was marking Maniche. Nobody are they dancing? Nice Figo penalty. As for the Netherlands, they invented total football in the seventies, of fluid system that went down

smooth as orange crush. This was a different Netherlands. The coach was Michael van Baston, a legendary striker for a C. Milan and the Dutch national team, who won the Blunder three times. It's the cars the way to the black posts, always come for it. When he played for Milan, his coach was legendary Italian tactician Arrigo Saki. It took Saki many crates of Champagne to win over snobby Van Basten. Saki would better create the ten players of Van Baston's

choice couldn't break down four well drilled defenders. If Saki had called in all his winnings, he'd still be drunk today. Von Boston, a legendary forward who liked to score goals absorbed the importance of an organized defense. He had yet to lose as Netherlands coach, going unbeaten in the group stages helps Alldix went to Roban, who's called the place

here only the keeper to Bates. Robin opens the Doutcher cops Van Bessie, you don't score back to goals and I world up the art two three goalkeepers wouldn't have kept that one expat van mister Roy star Holland to golf. To give you an idea of what kind of coach Van Boston was against portrait goal he benched Rude van Nistelroy, the ruthless Manchester United striker who had signed for Real

Madrid that summer. For Dirk Cout. Cout made up for a complete lack of imagination or flair with stamina and effort. He lived his life permanently panting with puffed red cheeks. The team was built around a curly haired midfielder named Mark Vambammel. A time to make friends, you say no thank you, Sir Van Baummel has never carved out time for that in his entire life. Two minutes into the game, Van Bommel set the tone. He hit Ronaldo hard with a late tackle along the touch line. Yellow card mark

Peter Gertuda. Andreas van Bummel was coming off winning the La Liga and Champions League double with Barcelona in his only season there. He learned Spanish in a convent outside of Eindhoven. But this man was no saint. In its twenty one year career that spanned league titles in the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and Italy, Von Baummel picked up thirteen reds, including one in his final match. He was a dirty player. This was a dirty Dutch team and we're off to

the races. Five minutes later, Khalid Boolooroo's stamped on Ronaldo's time. Christiano writhe on the floor and pointed to his leg so everyone could see where the auri was. Magic spray and lots of rubbing got him back on the field, but it was a clear red. Christiano Ronaldo was substituted after substaining a knee injury from multiple heavy tangles. He is fighting begnteers, let's help. His faith of world captain is not over. That was the game in which Khalid

Bolo's was instructed to just injure Cristiano Ronaldo. It was his mission, and he succeeded in that mission. Medics taped up Ronaldo's tie a few minutes later. He was clearly in pain. He was very limited defriender, very physical, tactically very sound, but well, he couldn't really play football. He just could all renew its to tackling. His name was Khalid der Kannibali or Khalid the Cannibal. Once he told a friend he was sharpening his studs for the upcoming match, quote,

I only want one thing to eat a striker. The nickname stuck. Boolooroo's preferred to call himself his mother's son. He grew up in a Moroccan family with eight siblings. At sixteen, his dad died and he became responsible for the family financially. In his early playing days, he drove a VW golf but couldn't afford the gas to keep

it running. Dutch goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar, who made a record on thirteenth appearance in this game, called Boolooroo's the type of teammate you want around on the long nights at training camps. What I'm trying to say is that he was a complete human being with needs and desires and terrors and sorrows, but we know him only as a butcher with a scar down his face, a knife between his teeth, an insatiable urge to Maime. Boolooroo's snuck in one more thigh kick and Ronaldo had to

be subbed out sobbing as Seawards replaced him. A year and a half later, Ronaldo still had the scar. Once Van Basten asked Boolooroo's if the tactical instructions were clear, Boolooroo's nodded quote, no mouse gets through boss. There was no way Ronaldo was going to escape this one unscathed. They shouldn't do that, and they shouldn't just hunt Cristiano Ronaldo down until he's injured and substituted. In the first half,

it was just I didn't like it. Portugal hit back, Moniche got a yellow card for coming through the back of Van Bommel, who clearly made the most of it. Then Moniche scored one nail. A proper match was threatening to break out, but fret not friend. That never happened. After half an hour, Costna committed to a long sliding lunge that really he was never going to get the ball. It looked like slow motion as he slid across the

field and into the referees notebook. A few minutes before the half, Nuno vain to hit Ry and Robin in the chest with his studs in the box. The referee decided to whistle offside rather than deal with all of that. And then in first half stoppage time, Costna tried to head the ball, but it's about two ft from his bald scalp. His hand slaps it instead. He's on the halfway line. There's really no point, but it's his second yellow,

so we have our first read. Portugal coach we Fiscotatti draped his hand over the dugout, looking back over his shoulder and shaking his head. This was Scotti's eleventh World Cup game. He'd won the previous ten, including the whole dang turn in two thousand and two with Brazil. His Portugal team was let's call it less refined. You expect Portugal to play that way if they loved to play dirty historically. Halftime, we're at six yellows and one red. In the second half, Cout had to break away, he

flubbed and Filip Coku hit the post. But the actual business of trying to get the ball in the net was the b plot here. The real game was seeing who could collect the most cards. Minute fifty substitute Pity touched Van Baumo, who spun wildly to the ground and sold it yellow. Minute fifty nine, a late Giovanni von broncors tacle on Deco yellow. In the aftermath, Luis Figo headbutted Van Baumo behind the referees back. You can see the pause. Then Van Baumo puts his hand over his

face and collapses to the ground. Yellow. After the game, Scolatti said, quote, Jesus Christ said he would turn the other cheek, but Figo is not Jesus Christ. There you have it. Minute sixty three, Boolooroo's got back at not Jesus Christ by elbowing Figo on his big honking nose. Second yellow red. Both benches cleared for the melee, which is always fun. Andre Oyer had to be held back.

Minute sixty seven, Johnny Hitinga comes on for von Baumbo. Somehow, against all the odds, von Baumo survived this game without getting sent off. He finished his international career with seventy nine appearances, ten goals, tennis sists, thirteen yellows, and because there is no justice in this dark and cruel world, zero red cards. Minute seventy three, the Netherlands break an unwritten rule by refusing to give the ball back. Portugal had had to put it out a bounce so a

player could receive medical treatment. Deako comes streaming in foot at knee height and smacks Johnny Hitinga's trailing foot. He ting A sores through the air in a gorgeous ark. Yellow Petite was leaning over hy Tinga, who was crumped on the floor, to scream at him for not giving the ball back, so Wesley Schneider bundled him over. Yellow Raphael Vandervart got booked in the aftermath as players crowded around. I have no idea what exactly for one match report

called it, apparently for descent yellow. Minutes seventy six, Portuguese goalkeeper Gottao got booked for well, let's just say the ref was trigger happy at this point. Match report quote presumably for time wasting. That same minute, valent is stuck in a nice slack on the back of Van Percy's ankles. Minute seventy eight that Goes scooped up the ball and refused to give it back for the Netherlands to take their free kick. Cuckoo spun him around to the ground.

That goes second yellow red. For some reason, Goku wasn't booked. I mean, I'm unclear why Scotti is gesturing and screaming at the ref. Von Boston looks like his brain has shorted out. He's just standing still, eyes darting around while he keeps rubbing his nose with two fingers. Minute Van Bronkhorst is trying to start a counter attack when Manita scoops the ball away. Von Bonkhorse then clatters into him, second yellow red. Von Boston is still holding his face,

just staring and not moving. He said there was no soccer played in the second half. When Von Boston went to shakes scare at his hand, the Brazilian was too busy dancing and waving the Portuguese flag in the middle of the field. The lasting image of this game is of the ejected Van Bronkhors and Deco sitting on the steps next to each other, gesturing and bitching about the referee. Together, Barcelona teammates international rivals united in their hatred of the referee.

It's what binds us all together, really, common enemies. Many across the globe picked the same villain. The l A Times called the refereeing atrocious, pitiful. It called the two thousand and six World Cup irrevocably tainted. Van Vasten said quote the referee made a mess of it. He called the game chaos. After the final whistle, Marcel and the teammates Diko and Van Bronk post was vaunted Ravelina did next to each other on the sidelines, wondering wont had

Jude happens. FIFA president step Bladder said the ref wasn't at the same level as the players and suggested he should give himself a yellow card. Van Instilroy said the referee was permanently holding up a card and seemed determined to book everybody. The New York Times called him petty. Ronaldo said the referee shouldn't get any more games in the World Cup, and well he didn't, So who was this referee that everyone hated? Valentine Ivanov was a forty

four year old music teacher from Moscow. His parents had met as teenagers at the nineteen fifty six Olympics, where they each won gold. His father, Valentine cosmics Ivanov, went out to finish as a joint top score of the nineteen sixty two World Cup and won the eurosy He later coached Torpedo Moscow to a league title. Yes, that's a real team name son Valentine Valentinovich Ivanov was also a striker for Torpedo Moscow and reached the final of

the Soviet Cup. Then Junior went into refereeing. This was his last World Cup before aging out at forty five. He said this game, the Battle of Nuremberg, was the toughest of his career in terms of rudeness. Actually, Ivanov was criticized for his performance, but I thought that he was handed an absolutely impossible tasking that game at he and he actually had a good game. All the players

who were sent off dissolved to be set. Twitter hadn't taken off yet, so people on the internet started websites arguing the pros and cons of Junior's continued existence. Debating the merits, Ivanov joked that he would go into politics. His father stood up for him, pointing out that FIFA had asked referees to be stricter. The two thousand and sixth tournament finished with a record high of three and forty five yellow cards and twenty eight reds. Ivanov's mother

had the more emotional defense. Her son speaks perfect English, he has a PhD in pedagogy. Quote, but his father dragged him into football. With that, my life came to an end, pic dramatic. What I'm trying to say is that he was a complete human being with needs and desires and terrors and sorrows. Even if he's not the

best referee in history. He's not, But you know, I think even the best referee ever wouldn't have been able to handle that game properly because some of the players took that filled in order to kick and injure other players. So who was that fault for how the game turned out? Ivanov himself said it's hard to determine why a game suddenly becomes so rough quote, but happens. He added that the Portuguese game plan was expected. The Dutch surprised him,

but the Dutch, the Dutch, I not like that. And the very fact that Marco van Boston, of all people, he was the coach and he was such an elegant striker. Van Boston accomplished everything in his short playing career besides winning the Ballondor thrice. He won the Euros, two European Cups and three Syria titles. He retired at twenty eight from injuries. The fact that Marco van Boston decided to send out his prayers in order to injure opponents, it's

just disgusting. It's the fact that Marco van Boston became such a cynical and negative coach. It was very, very very disappointed, because really really disappointed. After the game, both Mark van Bamble and Rude Venus to Roy refused to play for Van Boston. Ever again, Ronaldo said of the fouls had clearly been intended to injure him. FIFA talks about fair play that he said there was no fair play.

The game finished with sixteen yellows and four reds, a World Cup record, and just think how many more there would have been if Pippe had earned his Portuguese citizenship a year earlier. In the same World Cup, English referee Graham Paul gave a Croatian player three yellow cards before sending him off. Joseph Simnich referee mistakes stand out. We tend to talk about any other aspect of the game if it's well refed. Firstly, I take a positive view

of the referees. I cannot conceive. I mean I think I can. I think I can conceive of how difficult it is to be a referee, or particularly alignsman. But I know that I can't because what I think of the difficulty is if I was ever placed in that situation for really, even for five minutes, given a linesman's job, and told to try and make important decisions which other

people are going to be relying on. The ignomint is going to follow swiftly on my heels if I dare to make a mistake, I cannot conceive of how difficult that is. And I know they get things wrong. Ivanov's mother agrees, But when I look at referees and the track record they have of getting things right, I think it's just phenomenal that a human being can, for ninety

minutes get that many things right. They get some stuff wrong, but go back years and watch some of the decisions then, and oh my word, I want to talk about something else. Everyone complained about Ivanov's performance, but this game freaking rocked. I mean, everyone likes goals, the whoosh of the ball in the net, the eruption of a yell in our throat before you fully register what's actually happened, the surge in the crowd, the moment the players drop their guard

and hug each other like tizzy little children. But you know what's more rare than goals, red cards. More than even a goal, a red drastically alters the match. You've got to play. With one fewer human on your team, you will almost certainly lose. We should hold the beloved red card in a place of honor, cherish them. Listen. I get it. If you're Dutcher Portuguese, this game was bullshit. But if you're from one of two other national confederations

that FIFA recognizes, holy held this game was fun. Our primitive brains could barely grasp it. Sits and wonders. But I think on the occasions that it's touched my own kind of that I've had skin in the game. I mean, you just move on, because the other thing about football is that next week there'll be a fresh story. Next week. You might win next week. I don't know, It's just a sport that continually renews. The Netherlands went on to make the final in the following World Cup, two ten.

They're famously Nigel de Gng pleaded cha in the chest. He's looking could have been a red card, probably should have been. No attempt to play the ball at all, that's mu to the chest. Portugal went on to win the Euros because here's the man, there's one of the Unitade Chaptian ship. So the referee isn't something that I fixate on. Yeah, and I salute them because, as I say, I cannot conceive of how difficult it is what they do. And I think of all the incredible people, the incredible performance,

the incredible talents that we see in football. Possibly referees are among the best. In the Guinness Book of World Records. The game with the most red cards came in the Argentine Fifth Division, a two thousand eleven match deteriorated into a full fledged bench clearing brawl. Fans even joined in the fighting. The referee sent off all two players, plus fourteen subs and coaches, thirty six red cards in total. Sites and wonders, no one cares how many goals were scored.

The Best Soccer Podcasts in the World is a production of Exiled Content Studios in partnership with I Hearts Michael podcast Network and is hosted by Men Devila, produced by Anna and Zach Lee Rigg, Written by Zach Lee Rigg. Production assistants by Stella Emmett. Our executive producers are Isaac Lee Rose Reed and myself Named Avila. Our executive producers that I Heart are Gisel Bances and Arlene Santana. Sound

designed by Are Awesome. Theme song is by lu j Special thanks to all the voices who participated in this episode, Michael Yelkin and James Richardson. For more podcasts, listen to the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.