Brazilian football team Chapecoense’s road toward this year’s Copa Sudamerica tournament final ended midway as the plane carrying the team crashed in Colombia. With Sympathies pouring in from all sides, their final opponent Athletico Nacional has requested CONMEBOL to declare Chapecoense as this year’s champions, showing the world what the spirit of sports is all about.
The Brazilian club has had a good run since 2014, the year they qualified for Brazil’s top league Seria A. In a big surprise for many, the team qualified for one of the biggest tournaments of their continent, Copa Sudamerica, by shocking San Lorenzo de Almargo of Argentina.
While the whole world is mourning for the team, Athletico Nacional, Chapecoense’s opponent in the final, came out with a statement that won millions of hearts.
“The accident of our football brothers, Chapecoense, will mark us for life and will leave an indelible mark on Latin-American and world football. All this has been completely unexpected, that’s why the pain.”
“They were all footballers, technical staff, journalists and crew, people with many dreams, that’s why the tears. After being very worried about the human part we thought about the competitive aspect and we want to publish this statement in which Athletico Nacional ask CONMEBOL to give the title of Copa Sudamericana be given to the Chapecoense as an honorary award for this great loss, and in posthumous homage to the victims of the fatal accident that impute our sport. For our part, and forever, Chapecoense are champions of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana,” said the statement.
“We’re waiting for the decision that CONMEBOL takes. The officials will talk, but we want them to declare this team as champions.”
Some clubs have requested that Chapeocoense should remain in the top league for the next three seasons, without any fear of being relegated. Some others have suggested that clubs should loan their players free for the 2017 season.
