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The Brazilian national football team crashed and died. Plane carrying Brazilian football players crashes in Colombia

Athletes fly often - to competitions, training camps, and training. And representatives of team sports also travel together. Therefore, numerous cases from the history of modern sports, when an entire sports team died in a plane crash, are statistically quite understandable. But this in no way diminishes the pain of family, friends and fans. Today we remember the most tragic plane crashes in sports history.

The death of Yaroslavl "Lokomotiv"

Yaroslavl's Lokomotiv had little success in the decade since former head coach Vladimir Vuytek left the team in 2003 after receiving a better offer from ex-rivals Ak Bars Kazan. This, however, did not prevent the team from starting each season with full dedication. At the start of the 2011–12 season, the team intended to follow the same course as a member of the Kontinental Hockey League. But on September 7, 2011, during a flight to Minsk for the first game of the season, almost the entire team died in a plane crash. The Yak-42 plane, on which the Yaroslavl Lokomotiv was flying, crashed a few seconds after takeoff from the Yaroslavl Tunoshna airport. One of the team's star players was Alexander Galimov, through whose efforts the team won seven wins and two defeats in the pre-season matches. It was Galimov who scored the last goal in the Lokomotiv games before the plane crash. Galimov survived the crash, but died in hospital five days later. The remaining players, as well as the coaches and technical staff of the team, died on the spot, as did the rest of the passengers and crew members, with the exception of crew engineer Alexander Sizov. The cause of the disaster was recognized as an error by the crew, who, as it turned out, were not sufficiently prepared to fly on machines of this type.

The plane crash that changed wrestling

This plane crash resulted in serious injuries to those involved and ended two careers. However, if the injuries of those who survived had been more serious, the entire sports and entertainment industry would have changed beyond recognition. Aboard a private Cessna 310 jet from Charlotte to Wilmington, North Carolina on September 4, 1975, were promoter David Crocket and four wrestlers - Mr. Wrestling II, Bobby Bruges, Johnny Valentine and Ric Flair. The plane crash was the result of an error by the crew, who incorrectly calculated the amount of fuel. As the survivors admitted, when the plane began to fall, they were sure that this was the end. However, the crash resulted in only the pilot being killed, who died from his injuries two months later. Valentine was paralyzed and his career ended. Bruges also retired from the sport, although he retained the ability to walk. Why could this disaster change the face of the industry? The fact is that Flair and Valentine, according to legend, were the "bad guys" who feuded with Mr. Wrestling, and the industry for a long time tried to hide the truth about the disaster by not telling anyone about Mr. Wrestling's participation in that flight. He himself, fortunately, managed to support the cover legend - remaining alive and well, Mr. Wrestling entered the ring just two weeks after the accident.

Grand Torino plane crash

Italian, and perhaps world football, has never known a team with such undeniable superiority over its rivals as Grand Torino, the nickname given to the team of the Italian football club Torino in the 1940s. The team won five consecutive national cups and continued to win until a plane crash on May 4, 1949, claimed the lives of 18 players and 13 team employees. Grand Torino was a hand-picked team: the owner of the Torino club, Ferrucio Novo, was one of the first specialists in the world of sports to put the search for talent on a professional basis.
The Torino club won league titles from 1941 until 1949, with the exception of 1945-45, when the national championship was not held. In the 1949 championship, they were also considered the undisputed favorites until the day of the plane crash that occurred during the return of the players from a friendly game in Lisbon. The cause of the accident was the error of the pilot, who lost control in bad weather conditions. The National Football Federation ultimately decided to award the team the 1949 championship title as a sign of the highest justice: after all, if that unfortunate accident had not happened, the team would undoubtedly have received it.

Busby Babes plane crash in Munich

The “Busby Babes”, students of Manchester United head coach Matt Busby who came to big football from youth school, were very young - they were all barely over twenty. However, the Manchester youth team, who had played together since childhood, were a close-knit professional team, and after joining the main team they won the English Championship twice - in the 1955-56 and 1956-57 seasons. The fans adored them not only for their talent, but also for the fact that they were all students of the club, and not players bought from other clubs, which was becoming fashionable at that time. Alas, their success was interrupted by a plane crash in Munich on February 6, 1958, in which eight key team players were killed and two more were seriously injured. The plane, trying to take off during a snowstorm, barely took off from the ground and soon crashed. The disaster made such a depressing impression on the British that even the Queen expressed personal condolences not only to the relatives and friends of the victims, but also to the people of England as a whole.

American figure skating team dies in plane crash

In 1961, figure skating in the United States was at the peak of its popularity. The leader of the national figure skating team, Lawrence Owen, even appeared on the cover of the popular Sports Illustrated magazine on the eve of the World Figure Skating Championships in Prague. Two days after the magazine was published, Owen and the rest of the national team were tragically killed in a plane crash in Brussels. The plane carrying the skaters to Europe exploded during an abnormal landing. All 72 passengers, including the national team athletes and members of their families, died instantly. The only survivor was a dog flying in the luggage compartment. The figure skating world was shocked. The World Championships in Prague were canceled after news of the disaster, and the Americans were so shocked that they lost interest in figure skating for a long time, undermined by bad memories. Even President Kennedy was so shocked that his brother, Senator Robert Kennedy, spoke to the people on his behalf with words of condolences.

Death of the "Strongest"

It was not for nothing that the Bolivian team “The Strongest” had such a self-confident name: it really shone in the national championship for many years. In September 1969, the team flew to Santa Cruz for a friendly match. Having played, the “Strongest” football players flew to their homeland, the city of La Paz, on a DC-6 plane on September 26, 1969. But it was on this day that a military coup took place in the country. In the confusion, the plane with the football players mysteriously disappeared from radar and was discovered only a day later, having crashed near the village of Viloko. All passengers - 81 people - were killed, including 17 football players, the team coach and manager, and a technical employee.

Death of the Marshall University American Football Team

For the small town of Huntington, West Virginia, 1970 was marked by the success of the local Marshall University American football team, the Thundering Horde. Being a local team, Horde rarely traveled by plane, and the joint flight on November 14, 1970 was almost the first in its practice. The investigation was never able to figure out why the plane crashed. There were 37 team members on board, including 9 coaches, and a number of fans. Considering the number of deaths, this disaster is considered the largest tragedy in the history of American sports.

The death of "Pakhtakor"

The death of the Pakhtakor football team is perhaps the most famous tragedy in the history of Soviet sports. Tashkent Pakhtakor was one of the most successful football teams in the USSR. On August 11, 1979, the team flew on a TU-134 Minsk plane to a meeting with Dynamo Minsk. The controller noticed too late that the plane was dangerously approaching another TU-134 in the air. He gave the planes the command to disperse, but the command was not accepted by the crews - and the wing of one of the planes pierced the fuselage of the other. This caused both cars to explode in the air. All 178 passengers on both flights were killed, including 17 Pakhtakor players and coaches. According to rumors, Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev flew on that day, which caused confusion on the air routes. Despite the tragedy, the surviving Pakhtakor players returned to the field just 12 days after the tragedy to continue playing in the USSR Championship, thus paying tribute to their fallen comrades.

Evansville Basketball Players Death

In 1977, the University of Evansville basketball team was preparing for a difficult start to the season. The team's main problem was the departure of coach Arad McCutchen, who had worked with the team for many years. McCutcheon was very popular in Evansville: Time magazine even called him "the pride and passion" of the local basketball team. But the Purple Aces were not going to give up, although the season started poorly: three losses to one win. However, the team members were determined when they went to play the University of Central Tennessee on December 3, 1977. The flight was delayed for several hours due to bad weather conditions. When the plane did take off from the ground, it stayed in the air for only a minute and a half, after which it crashed to the ground. Among the causes of the disaster, it was later named, in particular, overloading of the luggage compartment. 17 crew members died in the disaster. The University of Evansville later opened a "Crying Basketball" memorial in honor of the victims.

Death of the Zambian national team

The 1993 Zambian football team was considered the best in the country's history. Football has always been popular in this African country, especially during the reign of President Kenneth Kaunda, who spared no expense in its development. After Kaunda's removal, there was less money, but the national team, despite poverty, remained one of the best in Africa. However, the team had to cut back on everything, including travel costs. To fly to the World Cup qualifying match against Senegal in Dakar, the team had to rent a Zambian Air Force plane. Alas, the national air force was in a deplorable state. On April 27, 1993, during a flight, one of the plane's engines caught fire. The pilot made a fatal mistake by turning off the second engine, after which the plane completely lost control and crashed. All 18 players on board were killed.

American boxing team plane crash

As you know, the US team, among 65 countries in the world, boycotted the Moscow Olympics-80. However, the US boxing team would not have been able to take part in the Olympic competition in any case due to a terrible plane crash that occurred on March 14, 1980, which claimed the lives of 14 athletes and 8 team members. The boxers were heading to a competition in Poland when their plane crashed on approaching Warsaw. A total of 87 passengers died in the disaster. Experts consider Pan American Games champion Lemuel Steeples to be the best of the crashed athletes.

Death of the "Eleven Motley"

These Dutch footballers of Surinamese origin were true humanitarians: they played in charity matches, thus raising funds to work with children from socially disadvantaged areas, involving them in sports and helping them find the right path in life. They were called "the motley eleven" - as a sign that they brought bright colors into the lives of children from the poorest families. In fact, there were more team members - only about two dozen people. The next charity match with their participation was to take place in the capital of Suriname, Paramaribo. But it did not take place: fifteen team players died in a plane crash in Paramaribo on June 7, 1989, which killed 176 passengers and crew members of a plane flying from Europe to South America. Two other members of the team, including Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit, abandoned the flight at the very last moment and were therefore saved. As it turned out later, the crash occurred due to the fact that the plane touched the top of a tree while landing at Paramaribo airport.

Hendrick Motosport team died in a plane crash

The death of a racer on the track, although rare, does happen, but the death of racers in a plane crash is an exceptional case. Meanwhile, it was exactly what happened on October 24, 2004, when 10 people from the Hendrick Motorsport team died in a plane crash, including the son of team owner Rick Hendrick, NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, his older brother and nieces. On this day, the team successfully took part in competitions at the Marysville speedway. The message about the disaster, which claimed the lives of 10 people, came just minutes after the news of driver Jimmie Johnson's victory on the track. The cause of the crash would later be attributed to a combination of pilot error and foggy weather difficult to fly.

Oklahoma Cowboy plane crash

In November 2011, the Oklahoma women's basketball team lost head coach Kurt Budke and assistant coach Miranda Serna. They and two other passengers were killed when a small private plane crashed while the coach and his assistant were returning home from a trip to recruit new players for their team. Kurt Budke was considered a real father by the girls on the basketball team, and his assistant was treated like a sister. In addition to them, State Senator Olin Branstetter and his wife Paula were killed in the crash. The most incredible thing is that after five years the commission investigating the disaster was unable to establish its cause. Senator Branstetter was at the controls of the plane and did not report turbulence or other weather-related problems to controllers. The version that the senator became ill and lost control of the car was also not confirmed. No technical faults were identified either. Why the plane crashed still remains a mystery.

Death of the Oklahoma Cowboys

The long history of tragedies associated with the University of Oklahoma began in January 2001, when 10 members of the university's men's basketball team were killed in a small private plane crash. The team was returning home after a loss to the Colorado Buffaloes to regroup and get ready for their next games. But the plane's pilot became disorientated during a snowstorm, and the plane crashed to the ground. Oklahoma Cowboys players and fans still remember the fallen players and coaches with the mournful anthem "Remember the Ten." In addition, a memorial has been set up on the university grounds to honor those who died, and sports competitions are held every year in memory of those who died.

An Avro RJ85 plane with a Brazilian football team on board crashed in Colombia. Colombian authorities have confirmed that the plane carrying the Brazilian football team did indeed crash. According to the latest data, there were 81 people on board: 72 passengers and nine crew members.

Representatives of the Jose Maria Cordoba airport in Medellin, where the plane was supposed to land, shared more detailed information about the crash. It was in this city that the Chapecoense and Nacional clubs were supposed to play the first match of the final of the Copa Sudamericana (the Latin American equivalent of the Europa League, in which Zenit and Krasnodar are currently participating).

“We confirm that the aircraft with registration number CP2933 was delivering the Chapecoense football team. There are likely survivors (from the crash),” the terminal administration said in a statement.

It is reported that there are 10 people among the survivors of the disaster. However, this is unofficial information for now - the information is constantly updated. Online, the Tsargrad editorial office is monitoring the investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy.

ON-LINE TRANSLATION

16:36 Fans outside the Chapecoense stadium hold a spontaneous rally to offer words of support to those who lost loved ones in the plane crash. There are tears in the eyes of many gathered.

16:00 In a telegram to the President of Brazil, Russian President Vladimir Putin conveyed words of sympathy to the families and friends of those killed in the crash of a plane carrying Brazilian football players in Colombia, the Kremlin press service reports.

15:35 Shortly before the crash, the football players took a photo with the pilot of the plane.

14:45 Goalkeeper Chapecoense Marcos Danilo died in hospital, local media reported.

14:23 Another survivor has been recovered from the wreckage of a plane that crashed in Colombia. Rescued - player of the Chapecoense club Helio Zampier Neto, was rushed to the hospital.

13:45 Brazil has declared mourning after a plane carrying a football team crashed.

13:30 Colombian authorities confirmed that three Chapecoense players survived the crash - Alan Ruschel, Marcos Danilo and Jackson Folman. According to Reuters, flight attendant Jimena Suarez and plane passenger Rafael Correa Gobbato are also considered to have survived.

12:41 Medellin police chief Jose Acevedo said the death toll had risen to 76.

12:33 The first photos from hospitals where victims of the airliner crash in Colombia are being taken appear online.

Chapecoense defender Alan Ruschel
EPA/LUIS EDUARDO NORIEGA A.

12:30 The Daily Mail reports that the Chapecoense players were supposed to fly on a different plane. They replaced the board literally at the last moment

12:25 Among the passengers on the plane that crashed in Colombia was Anderson Paixau, the son of former CSKA Moscow physical training coach Paulo Paixau.

12:16 Colombian FC Nacional expressed its condolences to Chapecoense.

12:10 The search can continue when rescuers can work in natural light, emergency officials told local media.

12:00 Eyewitnesses publish the first video from the crash site in Colombia.

11:40 The last minutes before boarding the crashed plane - the football players of the Brazilian club are discussing the upcoming final match.

11:39 Paraguayan publications report a temporary suspension of rescue and search operations due to bad weather conditions.

11:35 Firefighters, analyzing the circumstances of the plane crash, insist: the pilot’s decision to use up all the fuel saved the lives of passengers and crew. If the fuel had remained, there could have been an explosion - in this case, no one would have been able to escape.

11:30 The Kuban football club expressed its condolences to all the families and friends of the players, coaches and staff, as well as the fans of the Brazilian Chapecoense in connection with the plane crash.

11:27 The scene of the plane crash from the air - emergency services continue to dismantle the wreckage of the plane.

11:25 Meanwhile, users on social networks are sharing touching videos - this is exactly how players "Chapecoense" celebrated their reaching the final of the South American Cup - just recently everyone was alive and well.

11:20 Due to the plane crash Brazilian Football Federation decided to postpone the final matches indefinitely. Currently, an option is being considered in which "Chapecoense" And "Nacional" will field their youth squads for the games.

11:18 The mayor of the city of La Ceja, located near the site of the plane crash, names three possible reasons, including lack of fuel, technical problems with the plane and weather conditions.

11:17 Video reconstruction of the flight of the crashed plane.

11:14 According to RCN radio, Alan Ruschel was admitted to the hospital with numerous fractures and head wounds. At the same time, the defender’s condition is assessed as stable.

11:06 Surviving football players Alan Ruschel(left) and Danilo Marcos Padilla sat next to each other during the terrible flight. A few minutes before takeoff, they shared a photo together on social networks.

11:03 According to updated information, there were 22 football players among the passengers of the plane that crashed in Colombia. The mayor of La Ceja speaks of the deaths of 25-27 people flying on the crashed plane. The rest are either considered missing or among the victims.

11:00 President of Atlético Nacional Juan Carlos de La Cuesta claims that Chapecoense used the same plane that the Argentina national football team had previously flown to Belo Horizonte for a 2018 World Cup qualifying match against Brazil.

10:55 CONMEBOL has suspended matches due to the disaster in Colombia.

10:46 24 year old goalkeeper Ragnar Folman- the fourth player of the Brazilian club to survive the disaster.

10:40 The third survivor of the plane crash in Colombia is the 31-year-old goalkeeper of the Chapecoense club. Danilo Marcos Padilla.

10:37 Another person injured in the Avro RJ85 crash has been named. This is the flight attendant Jimena Suarez.

10:35 According to some data, not five, but 13 or even 15 people survived the disaster. At the same time, official sources have not yet announced such data. The fire captain only noted that there were “many casualties” as a result of the plane crash.

10:27 The Colombian army was involved in rescue efforts at the crash site. Military helicopters should help transport survivors. At the moment, only six people out of 81 on board have been found alive.

10:25 President of CONMEBOL Alejandro Dominguez has already taken off to the crash site. We know Dominguez from playing in the Russian clubs Zenit and Rubin. In his homeland he is a true football legend.

10:20 Photos of passengers of the ill-fated Avro RJ85 airliner before the last takeoff appear on the Internet. The whole team is assembled, the coaching staff, apparently, is in the forefront. No one can imagine how the planned flight as part of the South American Cup championship will end.

10:16 Chapecoense fans are ready to take the first flight to the scene of the tragedy to help emergency services representatives search for the bodies of the dead and provide assistance to the injured.

10:14 The fire captain confirms that there are many casualties as a result of the plane crash. There is still hope that more than just the six we already know survived.

10:11 The first wounded person to arrive at the Brovi hospital was a 27-year-old Alan Ruschel, Chapecoense defender, wearing number 10. Doctors are doing everything possible to bring the athlete out of shock. The player's injuries have not yet been reported.

10:10 According to the official press release, the cause of the plane crash was an electrical fault.

10:08 Colombian FC Nacional expressed its condolences to Chapecoense. Meanwhile, users on social networks share photographs of football players - happy smiles of young guys in moments of victory on the field.

10:05 Weather conditions significantly complicate the actions of rescuers at the scene. At the same time, medics are waiting for the four surviving players and a flight attendant to arrive. Information about the identities of the survivors is broadcast by local media with reference to their own sources.

10:03 Experts were able to reconstruct the flight path of the crashed Avro RJ85.

10:00 Football players from the Brazilian club Chapecoense were heading to a game in the South American Cup. The athletes were accompanied by journalists. It is not yet known who exactly survived the crash.

09:53 Avro RJ85, which crashed in the province of Antioquia in the La Union area, broke into two parts. According to Colonel Bonilla from civil aviation, the passengers were able to escape only because there was no explosion as a result of the crash.

09:48 According to sources at various levels, the plane signaled low fuel levels shortly before the crash.

09:40 Portal MiOriente: The plane crashed due to lack of fuel. There was no collision.

09:30 Information about 10 survivors is confirmed. It is voiced by the fire department working at the scene of an emergency.

09:07 The first photos from the scene of the tragedy began to appear on social networks almost immediately after the crash was reported. There has been no information yet about the causes of the disaster.

A three-day mourning period has been declared in Brazil, and a 30-day mourning period in the state of Santa Catarina...

Six of the 77 people on the plane survived the tragedy. Among them are three Chapecoense players - defenders Alan Ruschel And Helio Sampier Neto and goalkeeper Jackson Vollmann. Team Goalkeeper Marcos Danilo due to numerous injuries he died in the hospital.

Other survivors - crew members Jimena Suarez And Erwin Tumiri and also a journalist Rafael Valmorbida.


A Reuters photographer who was one of the first to arrive at the crash site said he saw dozens of bodies lying near the wreckage. According to him, by that time about 30 rescuers, police and military representatives were looking for survivors. The plane was divided into two parts, with only the nose and wings visible, the tail was completely destroyed.

Colombian officials said the charter flight carrying Chapecoense took off from Sao Paulo on Monday afternoon (5:35 p.m. local time), stopped in Bolivia and then headed to Medellin, where the team was due to play the Copa final. Libertadores with the local Atlético Nacional.

British Aerospace 146, which was flying to Colombia's second-largest city, was carrying football players, football club management and staff, as well as journalists.

According to representatives of the Medellin airport, at 22:00 the pilots of the airliner reported problems with electrical equipment, and 15 minutes later the plane disappeared from radar and crashed in a forested mountainous area 30 miles from its destination. Rescue operations were hampered by heavy rain, fog and darkness.

“At this time, it is known that the tragedy occurred in Cerro Gordo, La Union province,” officials said. There were believed to be 81 people on board, but it later emerged that four passengers had decided not to fly at the last minute.

On Monday, Colombia's civil aviation agency announced that the plane's two flight recorders were found "in excellent condition."


The two surviving crew members, Ximena Suarez and Erwin Tumiri, were taken to Riogrande Hospital.

Three players - Alan Rouschel, Helio Sampier Neto and Jackson Vollmann - and journalist Rafael Valmorbida were also taken to hospital. Two of them were seriously injured. Doctors fought for the life of another survivor of the crash, Marcos Danilo, for several hours...

Rouschel retains sensation in the limbs and can restore motor activity. Doctors diagnosed the 27-year-old defender with multiple fractures of his arms and legs, as well as a spinal fracture. He was operated on and transferred to another hospital.

Vollmann's leg was amputated.

There are no details yet about the other survivors or their condition.

Graças a Deus o Alan está no hospital, estado estável. Estamos orando por todos que ainda não foram socorridos, e força para todos os familiares. Situação complicado, difícil. So Deus para dar força mesmo. 🙏🏻 obrigada Deus

Nivaldo, a 42-year-old goalkeeper who has played for Chapecoense since 2006 and who did not fly to Colombia, said he woke up at 5 a.m. Tuesday after a call from a friend asking if the player was on the plane. According to Nivaldo, he tried to contact one of his teammates, but no one answered...

Among the victims is the team's head coach, Luis Carlos Saroli, also known as Kayo Junior. His son, Mateus Saroli, was also supposed to fly to Colombia, but stayed home because... lost my passport. “We need strength. I ask you to give us some peace of mind, especially my mother,” he wrote on his Facebook page.

Forward Alejandro Martinuccio We should thank fate - his life was saved by an injury, due to which he also did not fly with the team to Medellin. “The only reason I was saved was because I was injured. “I’m saddened...The only thing I can ask is to pray for those who were on board,” said the striker, also known for his appearances for Villarreal, Penarol and Brazilian clubs Curitiba, Ponte Preto, “ Cruzeiro and Fluminense.

Chapecoense's third goalkeeper Marcelo Book I didn’t fly with the team because... received permission to celebrate my birthday.

All those who remained in Brazil today came to the locker room, where a few days ago they celebrated reaching the Copa Libertadores final, to honor the memory of the victims.


The liner carrying Chapecoense was in operation for 17 years. The same plane transported the Argentina national team to the match with Brazil (0:3) in the 2018 World Cup qualifying tournament.

Because the plane was manufactured in the UK, and a team of three experts from the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) went to the crash site.

It is known that after the crash the plane did not catch fire, but at the moment it is not clear why this happened - either the pilots somehow dumped the remaining fuel, or it simply ran out.

It is also worth noting that the Chapecoense players (!) were not supposed to fly on this flight at all - shortly before departure, the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority forbade the club to fly to Medellin on a charter flight, so the team had to buy tickets on a regular commercial flight.

President of Brazil Michel Temer announced three days of mourning and expressed condolences to the relatives and families of the victims. “I express my solidarity at this sad time, when dozens of Brazilian families have been affected by tragedy,” the politician’s official Twitter account said. “We offer any form of assistance to families. The BBC and Foreign Office are looking into the matter. "The government will do everything it can to ease the pain of this loss."


Temer's colleague from Colombia Juan Manuel Santos also expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced a seven-day mourning period in connection with the plane crash, with all matches played under the auspices of the CBF postponed for a week. According to the CBF resolution, the return game of the National Cup between Gremio and Atlético Mineiro will be held on December 7, the final round of the Brazilian Serie A will be held on December 11, and the final of the U20 Brazilian Cup between Bahia and Sao Paulo will be held on December 8 .

The Confederation of South American Football (CONMEBOL), in connection with the tragedy, also announced the suspension of all international competitions under its auspices.

Representatives of Atlético Nacional, with whom Chapecoense was supposed to play in the Copa final, proposed CONMEBOL to award the Brazilian club victory in the cup as a “posthumous tribute to the victims of the disaster.” “For us, Chapecoense is the champion of the tournament,” said the management of the Colombian team.

Dozens and hundreds of clubs around the world have provided or are ready to provide assistance to Shapa. The Brazilian and Argentine teams issued an official appeal in which they declared their readiness to provide Chapecoense with football players.

Financial assistance to the Brazilian Leicester was provided by the London Arsenal, Cristiano Ronaldo and many others. No one was left unaffected by the tragedy. “We could have been in their place. If we had not lost then, perhaps Coritiba would have flown to Medellin. We are all sad because we had a good relationship with Chapecoense. “Coritiba will do everything in its power to help our brothers from Santa Catarina,” said the president of Coritiba. Roger Bacelar.


After the tragedy, Chapecoense fans gathered outside the stadium to honor the memory of the victims. Hundreds of fans brought flags and flowers and then said a prayer together. “The city just stopped. Very sad. This is a big loss for all of Brazilian football. The team was at its peak,” said goalkeeper Nivaldo.


The history of Chapecoense is the story of the Brazilian Cinderella. Back in 2009, the team played in Serie D and was on the verge of bankruptcy. The club was saved by local businessmen - they raised money, 30% of which was spent on paying off debts (about half a million dollars), and 70% on further development.

In the fall of 2009, “Chape” entered Serie C, a year later it could have been relegated, but remained in the third division due to Atlético Ibiram’s unwillingness to take its place. In 2012, he rose to Serie B, and in 2014 he rose to the elite. The path from the fourth league to the final of the Copa Sudamericana took only seven years.


After reaching the Copa Libertadores final, it was very loud in the locker room - singing, dancing, champagne. The team was at its peak. One step away from triumph.


But the final will not be played. Heaven has already got champions.

In Colombia, not far from Medellin, a plane carrying 72 passengers crashed, including football players from the Brazilian club Chapecoense, who were to take part in the first final match of the Copa Sudamericana against the Colombian Atlético Nacional.

Right now, 75 people are known to have died. The full list of people who got on board is known - in addition to the football players and the plane crew (there were 9 crew members), there were also Chapecoense executives, coaching staff, technical staff, journalists and honored guests. Among the passengers was the son of Paulo Paixao, a former CSKA physical training coach.

What team crashed?

Chapecoense is a little-known team in Russia; it does not have players familiar to our fans. Chapecoense languished at the bottom of Serie D for a long time, left it in 2009, and in 7 years reached the final of the Copa Sudamericana. This fall, Chapecoense reached such a high point for the first time in history. The match in Colombia was supposed to be the most important in the club's history...

How did this happen?

Citing Colombian sources, Brazil's Globo reported that the plane lost contact with the ground shortly after midnight and crashed 30 km before its planned arrival. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the pilots as the plane flew over the cities of La Ceja and Aberhorral. The missing plane took off at 15:35 local time from Sao Paulo and landed in Eastern Bolivia, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The plane crashed in the city of La Union, 30 km from Medellin.

It did not explode, largely thanks to the efforts of the crew - the pilots knew that the plane was running out of fuel and circled over the area. If not for this, an explosion would have been inevitable.

The first photographs have already been received from the scene.

Why did this happen?

Mayor of La Ceja Elkin Ospina stated that the cause of the plane crash was a lack of fuel. Another version, in the official release of the aviation authorities, states that the plane crashed due to an electronics failure.

What was the team flying on?

Chapecoense was flying on a charter aircraft CP-2933. At the beginning of the month, the Argentina national team flew on it.

During the fall, the plane split in half. It is important that SR-2933 has already suffered 10 plane crashes, most of them during landing.

What do they say at the scene?

The rescue operation at Medellin airport is being carried out by more than 90 rescuers from the nearby cities of La Union, Rionegro, El Carmen de Vibroal and La Ceja. Heavy rain complicates the situation. A state of emergency has been declared in the city, and Air Force helicopters are searching for surviving passengers. “It’s hard to find survivors, it’s a wooded area,” he says Hugo Botero Lopez, Mayor of La Union.

“We are working with local authorities in connection with the emergency situation that occurred with the Chapecoense aircraft,” the airport wrote on Twitter.

What do they write in Brazil?

Chapecoense posted a short message on their official Facebook page: “Given the conflicting reports coming from different journalistic sources regarding the crash of the plane carrying Chapecoense players, we refrain from commenting and await official statements from the Colombian air authorities. May God be with our athletes, leaders, journalists and other members of the delegation.”
Flamengo's official Twitter account added the Chapecoense logo to its avatar and wrote: "The whole nation is with you."

Are there any survivors?

Yes. Defender taken to La Ceja hospital Alan Ruschel, rescued from the wreckage of the plane. It is reported that Alan has multiple broken bones, hips, and lacerations to the head. At the hospital, he asked the doctors to keep his wedding ring and inquired about the condition of his loved ones. His wife, Amanda Ruschel, wrote on Instagram: "Thank God Alan is in hospital in a stable condition."

The second survivor is the Chapecoense goalkeeper. Danilo Padilla. It’s surprising that before the flight, Rushel posted a photo of himself on Instagram - just with Danilo. Third - Jackson Vollmann. Defender Neto was hospitalized with a severe head injury.

Another survivor already taken to the hospital is a flight attendant. Jimena Suarez.

Another 9 Chapecoense players, according to Globo Esporte, did not fly to the match and escaped the plane crash.

In Colombia, not far from Medellin, a plane carrying 72 passengers crashed, including football players from the Brazilian club Chapecoense, who were to take part in the first final match of the Copa Sudamericana against the Colombian Atlético Nacional.

Right now, 25 people are known to have died. The full list of people who got on board is known - in addition to the football players and the plane crew (there were 9 crew members), there were also Chapecoense executives, coaching staff, technical staff, journalists and honored guests.

What team crashed?

Chapecoense is a little-known team in Russia; people familiar to our fans do not play for it. In 2014, Chapecoense entered the Brazilian Serie A for the first time since the 1970s. This fall, for the first time in history, the club reached the final of the Copa Sudamericana, which is the equivalent of the Europa League in South America.

How did this happen?

Citing Colombian sources, Brazil's Globo writes that the plane lost contact with the ground shortly after midnight and crashed shortly before its scheduled arrival. Air traffic controllers lost contact with the pilots as the plane flew over the cities of La Ceja and Aberhorral. The missing plane took off at 15:35 local time from Sao Paulo and landed in Eastern Bolivia, in Santa Cruz de la Sierra.

The first photographs have already been received from the scene.

Why did this happen?

Mayor of La Ceja Elkin Ospina stated that the cause of the plane crash was a lack of fuel. Another version, in an official release from aviation authorities, states that the plane crashed due to an electrical failure.

What was the team flying on?

Chapecoense was flying on a charter aircraft CP-2933. At the beginning of the month, the Argentina national team flew on it.

An Air Force colonel assures that the plane did not explode during the fall, which gives hope for finding more survivors. At the same time, according to unconfirmed information, the plane split in half when it fell.

What do they say at the scene?

More than 90 rescuers from the surrounding cities of La Union, Rionegro, El Carmen de Vibroal and La Ceja are working on the rescue operation at Medellin airport. Heavy rain complicates the situation. A state of emergency has been declared in the city, and Air Force helicopters are searching for surviving passengers. “It’s hard to find survivors, it’s a wooded area,” he says Hugo Botero Lopez, Mayor of La Union.

“We are working with local authorities in connection with the emergency situation that occurred with the Chapecoense aircraft,” the airport tweeted.

What do they write in Brazil?

Chapecoense posted a short message on their official Facebook page: “Given the conflicting reports coming from different journalistic sources regarding the crash of the plane carrying Chapecoense players, we refrain from commenting and await official statements from the Colombian air authorities. May God be with our athletes, leaders, journalists and other members of the delegation.”

Are there any survivors?

Yes. The defender has already been taken to the La Ceja hospital Alan Ruskel, rescued from the wreckage of the plane. It is reported that Alan has multiple broken bones, hips, and lacerations to the head. The second survivor is the Chapecoense goalkeeper. Danilo Padilla. It’s surprising that before the flight, Ruskel posted a photo of himself on Instagram - just with Danilo. Delivered to hospital Jackson Vollmann.

Another survivor who has already been taken to the hospital is a flight attendant. Jimena Suarez.

The 23rd Chapecoense player was supposed to be on board, but at the last moment he was cut off from the squad. His name has not yet been announced.

Information will be updated.

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