By: Jerry Zhang

On June 26, 2024, the group stage Czechia vs. Türkiye soccer game at Volksparkstadion stadium, became one of the most controversial face-offs in Euro Cup history. The match ended with 16 yellow cards, 5 for Czechia and 11 for Türkiye, as well as 2 red cards for Czechia.

The game started normally enough with Czechia pushing for an early lead by dominating the match with their strong midfield. However, beginning at the 11-minute mark, things began going downhill for both teams. It started with the first yellow card for Antonin Barak, an aggressive midfielder, for dragging down Ferdi Kadioglu, the left-back.

Nine minutes later, Barak was converged upon by two Türkiye midfielders, Hakan Calhanoglu and Salih Ozcan. Stuck between these two players and losing control of the ball, a desperate lunge to prevent Türkiye from gaining possession of the ball led to a collision between these three players. After the referees watched a VAR replay, Barak was handed his second yellow card.

At the 31 minute, Türkiye got its first yellow card after Salih Özcan stopped Mojmír Chytil from escaping. Card after card was handed out to players on both sides: Patrick Schick, Kenan Yildiz, Mert Günok, Ugurcan Cakir, and more. Resulting in 14 yellow cards and one red card at the end of it all, with Türkiye winning the match.

However, the trouble did not end there. The jubilant cheers of the Türkiye players and fans proved to be too much for some Czechia players and staff. A scuffle had broken out in the middle of the field which led to a physical altercation. This single match broke the record for the most cards awarded in a single game at the European Championship. Marking it in history as one of the dirtiest matches to have occurred in Euros history.