Brazil's sports judicial authorities took an exceptional decision following one of the most violent injuries of the season, imposing an unusual sanction on Internacional de Porto Alegre defender Victor Gabriel.
The Supreme Court of Sports Justice analysed the incident from the 13th minute of the second half between Internacional and Cruzeiro, in the nineteenth round of the Brazilian league, a game Cruzeiro won 2-1. Then the judges did something rare. They tied the length of Gabriel's suspension to the recovery date of the injured player.
Marca newspaper said: "Brazil's Supreme Court of Sports Justice issued a decision suspending defender Victor Gabriel, a player of Internacional de Porto Alegre, until forward Gabriel Baeta, a Cruzeiro player, returns to training, as punishment for the violent tackle he committed against him." The court's Sixth Disciplinary Commission handed down the ruling.
Gabriel had been sent off in that passage of play, shown a straight red card for using excessive force while competing for the ball.
Baeta initially left the pitch with what looked like a wound to his leg. Subsequent medical examinations told a grimmer story: he had fractured the bone in his left leg, an injury requiring surgery.
Commission members judged the usual sanction for violent conduct, a suspension of between one and six matches, insufficient given the severity of the injury.
With the forward unable to compete because of that injury, the judges applied the extended measure that keeps the offender suspended until the injured player is cleared to return to training, up to a maximum of 180 days.
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Under the ruling, Victor Gabriel cannot return to matches until medical staff confirm that Gabriel Baeta has rejoined his team's normal training, expected within three or four months.
In tears during Tuesday's session, Victor Gabriel told the court he had "no intention" of harming his opponent and had spent the last few days praying for him.
He said: "I spend my nights awake praying for him. I ask forgiveness with all my heart from all Cruzeiro fans."
Cruzeiro had announced Baeta's arrival from Los Angeles Galaxy on 7 July. The match in which he suffered the fracture was his first as a starter for the club.
The decision also lands as a harsh blow to Internacional, who lose an established key player at a critical stage of the season.
Sixteenth in the Brazilian league and on the edge of the relegation zone, the Porto Alegre side are going through a sensitive spell after four consecutive defeats.