Chapecoense was supposed to play Atlético Nacional in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final on Wednesday, a game that couldn’t take place. The charter fight carrying Chapecoense’s players, coaches, directors, guests and some Brazilian journalists to the game crashed outside of Medellin, killing 71 people on board.
Over 45,000 fans pay tribute to Chapecoense at what would have been their cup final match
Atlético Nacional’s supporters showed up to their stadium when their match against Chapecoense would have taken place and produced a moving celebration.
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On Wednesday night, Atlético Nacional supporters showed up anyway, turning out to honor those who lost their lives and were injured in the accident. And with the same ferocity that they’d sing for their own side, the supporters sang “força Chape” — let’s go Chape — for the opponents who never got a chance to compete.
The Atlético Nacional fans also sang “Those who listen throughout the continent, we will always remember the champion Chapecoense.”
There were numerous banners in the stadium, including this one, which says “a new family is born.”
In Brazil, Fox Sports is broadcasting a black screen with a hashtag that reads “90 minutes of silence.” There were journalists who worked for Fox Sports that died in the crash.
These won’t be the last tributes for Chapecoense, but no one outside of Chapecó is going to be able to top Atlético Nacional’s.
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