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Brazilian football has been rocked by an unusual ruling after Internacional defender Victor Gabriel received an open-ended suspension for a tackle that left Cruzeiro forward Gabriel Pec with a broken leg. Instead of serving a fixed ban, the 21-year-old will remain sidelined for up to six months, or until Pec is medically cleared to return to training, following a decision by Brazil’s Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) on Tuesday.

What did Victor Gabriel do?

The incident occurred during a Brazilian Serie A clash between Internacional and Cruzeiro on July 22, when Victor Gabriel was shown a red card for a reckless challenge that fractured Pec’s left tibia. The injury came on Pec’s debut for Cruzeiro after his recent move from Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy. The court ruled that a standard suspension would not adequately reflect the seriousness of the challenge, resulting in one of the most extraordinary punishments seen in professional football.

Why did Brazilian court hand Victor Gabriel an open-ended suspension?

Pec, who moved to Cruzeiro from Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy this month, was making his debut in the match eventually won by Cruzeiro.

On Tuesday, Brazil’s Superior Court of Sports Justice (STJD) determined that a standard penalty for Victor Gabriel was insufficient in light of the severity of the incident.

What did Victor Gabriel say after the ruling?

In an appearance during proceedings, Victor Gabriel expressed remorse, adding:

Why did Internacional’s VAR evidence come under scrutiny?

The court also questioned the authenticity of the evidence provided by Internacional, which contained audio from the match’s VAR, with the club’s defence then asking for it to be disregarded as its veracity could not be proved.

In a statement on its official website, Internacional said the law firm representing the club had used an audio recording circulating on social media as part of the player’s defence.