Following a horrific plane crash in Colombia Monday night in which 75 people, including many members of Brazilian club Chapecoense, lost their lives, Atletico Nacional, the team Chapecoense had been travelling to play in the Copa Sudamericana final, has asked that the Copa Sudamericana be awarded to Chapecoense.
CONMEBOL has halted all soccer competitions in South America until further notice.
COLOMBIA: Players from Atletico Nacional are asking CONMEBOL to declare Chapecoense South America champions for 2016. #ForcaChape
— Gabriel Elizondo (@elizondogabriel) November 29, 2016
Atletico Nacional released a statement asking for the trophy to be given to the Brazilian club:
Here's the last part of the statement:
After being very concerned about the human side we think about the competitive aspect and we want to publish this statement where Atletico Nacional invites Conmebol to the title of the Copa Sudamericana be delivered to the Associacao Chapecoense de Futebol as honorary laurel their great loss and posthumous tribute to the victims of the fatal accident that mourns our sport. For our part, and forever, Chapecoense Champion of the Copa Sudamericana 2016.
Chapecoense had gone from the Brazilian fourth division to the final of the Copa Sudamericana, the South American equivalent of the Europa League, in just eight years.
