The brawl between Buriram United (Thailand) and Zhejiang (China) in the AFC Champions League on the evening of November 29 has shocked the Asian football world. It is likely that the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will announce a very heavy penalty for both teams.

After the brawl, Thairath newspaper analyzed video data from the field and the stands to find out the cause of the riot. Among them, the instigator of this incident was none other than Theerathon Bunmathan.

After the referee blew the final whistle, Theerathon Bunmathan exchanged words with the opposing player. Lip analysis showed that the Buriram United defender swore at the Zhejiang player.

Witnessing the Buriram United captain arguing with his opponent, young midfielder Leon James ran over and said: "Calm down, the match is over". Already hot-headed after the argument with Theerathon Bunmathan, the Zhejiang player slapped Leon James. Finally, members of the two teams rushed into a melee.

Russian striker Ramil Cheydayev choked and strangled Chinese players. In the end, he was surrounded by his opponents and "beaten up". It is worth mentioning that Theerathon Bunmathan only started the fight and did not participate in it.

Zhejiang Club denounced: "Thai national team player, Theerathon Bunmathan, cursed. And Buriram United foreign player, Sheydayev, liked to show off his skills and suffered the consequences."

In another development, a clip posted on social media shows Buriram United Vice President and defender Dion Cools both raising their middle fingers towards Zhejiang Club.

On Instagram, Zhejiang Club sarcastically posted in Thai: "When your height determines your attitude." This is a move to refer to the actions of Buriram United Vice President and Theerathon Bunmathan.

Tianjin Daily newspaper said that Buriram United players came to China with the mentality of wanting to avenge the Thai team after their defeat to the Chinese team in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup.

The newspaper wrote: "Because the Thai team lost to the Chinese team in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Buriram United players marched to Zhejiang's field with the mentality of wanting revenge. They could not take revenge on the field but were forced to use their fists.

In recent years, Chinese football has declined significantly and is close to the level of Thailand. Therefore, the Thai team always uses the Chinese team as a comparison. This has a great impact on the psychology of Thai players and fans.

Half a month ago, the Thai national team suffered a 1-2 defeat at home to the Chinese national team in the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup. That defeat caused chaos within Thailand. Coach Mano Polking was fired. Therefore, the mentality of the Thai players is to avenge the defeat of the national team.

Buriram United players did not hesitate to play violently throughout the match. Not only that, they also provoked, leading to a terrible brawl. The consequences that Buriram United and Zhejiang have to suffer will affect the future of both teams. They will have to face very heavy penalties."