Supporters Of Chapecoense Gathered To Remember Victims Of Plane Crash

 

Supporters of Chapecoense gathered at the club's stadium on Wednesday to honour the players killed in Monday's plane crash. Thousands of fans dressed in club colours convened at the time Chapecoense were supposed to kick-off the first leg of their Copa Sudamerica final against Colombia's Atletico Nacional.

A chartered plane carrying players, staff and Brazilian journalists came down outside the city of Medellin, killing 19 squad members and 71 people in total. Three other players were among just six survivors and remain in hospital with serious injuries.

Atletico supporters paid their own tribute in Medellin, while back in Brazil supporters and remaining officials watched a video honouring the players, and vice-president Ivan Tozzo was among those left attempting to articulate the weight of grief in the club and the city. He said “It was very difficult on entering the meeting room in the morning and seeing all the empty seats of our companions.”

One supporter, Aline Fonseca said “Chapeco is not a big city. We would meet the players in the street, anywhere. It's hard to keep going. I think this transcends football," another mourner, Daniel Augusto Barrera, said: "It has become something human. This is why I decided to come and pay my respects for the players who left Chapeco with a dream and who will never be forgotten.”

Tributes have been paid across the football world, with Old Trafford paying its respects ahead of Wednesday night's game against West Ham. A memorial at the stadium stands today in memory of those who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster of 1958.