“It was an ugly, hostile match – although for someone like me, it was a kind of enjoyment” Portugal’s Maniche explains what it was like to play in the dirtiest match in World Cup history
Portugal's meeting with the Netherlands at the 2006 World Cup produced four red cards and 12 yellow cards
When a World Cup quarter-final match has its own special Wikipedia page, it's either a very good sign or a very bad sign.
In the case of Portugal's victory over the Netherlands at the 2006 World Cup, it's very much out of notoriety.
That game still holds the record for the dirtiest game ever played at the tournament, with both sides earning an absolute raft of red and yellow cards.
Maniche told FourFourTwo: "Nuremberg witnessed an all-out battle.
"It was an ugly, hostile match – although for someone like me, it was a kind of enjoyment.
"Every action was played on the edge, with enormous and constant tension. Winning justified everything.
"It was an extremely difficult game for the Russian referee.
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"He sent off four players (Costinha, Khalid Boulahrouz, Deco and Giovanni van Bronckhorst) and showed 12 yellow cards, the worst disciplinary record in World Cup history.
"We were fighting for a place in the quarter finals and, after what had happened two years earlier at the Euro 2004 [when Portugal won 2-1 in the semi-finals], there was a strong rivalry with the Netherlands."
Maniche had scored the opener in a 2-1 win over Mexico in the group stage, and he was at it again when he struck midway through the first half.
Maniche said: "I was fortunate to score again – the only goal of the match.
"I remember celebrating by kissing the badge in front of our fans.
"It was a hard-fought victory and that’s why it felt so special. It's match that will stay in my memory for the rest of my life.
Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.
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