Under the lights at Medellín’s Atanasio Girardot Stadium, Atlético Nacional and Chapecoense met again on Saturday for a match in which the final score mattered far less than the names being remembered.
The Ligue 1 news
The Colombian and Brazilian clubs drew 1-1 in a commemorative friendly held almost 10 years after the Chapecoense plane disaster, which claimed 71 lives among the 77 people on board.
Chapecoense had been travelling to Colombia for the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional when their aircraft crashed in 2016. The match had been due to take place at the Atanasio Girardot, the venue chosen for Saturday’s tribute.
A strong relationship has endured between the clubs since the tragedy. In its immediate aftermath, Atlético Nacional asked CONMEBOL to award the Copa Sudamericana title to Chapecoense.
Before the friendly began, players and officials from both teams gathered in the centre circle for a joint photograph before the national anthems were played. Every player wore an armband bearing the message “71 always present”.
Play was also halted in the 10th minute for applause in memory of those lost in the crash.
Hélio Neto, the former Chapecoense player and one of six survivors, attended the occasion. The 41-year-old said he hoped “with all my heart that this brotherhood will continue for many years to come”.
Neto also presented armbands marked “Captaincy of Life” to seven Colombians who took part in rescue efforts at the crash site.
