Tragic Brazilian club
Chapecoense have been crowned winners of the Copa Sudamericana after their
plane crashed while travelling to the final.
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Chapecoense
football team were due to play in the first leg of the final of the
Copa Sudamericana in Medellin, Colombia. AFP
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The
jet carrying the Chapecoense team, along with club officials and journalists,
to Medellin for the final against Colombian side Atletico Nacional came down
late last Monday, killing 71 people including 19 players.
And
the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) has declared them Copa
Sudamericana champions 2016.
The
gesture comes after Nacional asked CONMEBOL to award the title to Chapecoense
in tribute to the victims of the crash.
The
governing body also announced it has awarded Nacional the Centennial CONMEBOL
Fair Play award, consisting of US$1 million (£785,000).
It
said in a statement: "For CONMEBOL there is no greater example of the
'spirit of peace, understanding and fair play' set forth as an objective of our
institution than the solidarity, consideration and respect shown by Atletico
National towards its brothers from Chapecoense."
Brazil's
leading football clubs have also pledged to loan players to Chapecoense for
free and asked for them to be safeguarded from relegation from the top flight
for the next three seasons.
Former
Brazil forward Ronaldinho and ex-Argentina international Juan Roman Riquelme
have reportedly offered to play for the club, while another Barcelona old boy,
Eidur Gudjohnsen, has offered his services.
''Out
of respect I would play for @ChapecoenseReal if they have a place for me! If not
just to play with @10Ronaldinho again #ForcaChape,'' the 38-year-old
Gudjohnsen, whose last club was FC Pune City, posted on Twitter.
Chapecoense's
acting president Ivan Tozzo has stated the club - which came up through the
lower divisions after only being founded in 1973 - is determined to build
again, but that can only be done with the support of the wider football
community.
Just
three of the team - defender Alan Luciano Ruschel, reserve goalkeeper Jackson
Ragnar Follmann and centre-back Helio Hermito Zampier Neto - were named among
only six survivors of the crash.
A minute's silence will be held ahead of all of this week's Champions League and Europa League matches as a mark of respect to those who died.
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