On the slopes above Medellín, where a Brazilian team’s journey to a continental final ended in catastrophe, Chapecoense returned to Colombia to mark a decade since the air crash that changed two football cities forever. In La Unión, the remembrance brought together survivors, club officials and local authorities around a bond forged in grief between Chapecó and the Antioquia region.
A return to the mountain
The tribute honoured the 71 people killed when the Chapecoense aircraft went down on the night of 28 November 2016. The Brazilian side had been approaching Medellín for the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atlético Nacional.
Former defender Hélio Neto, now 41, was among those who travelled to the crash area. One of six survivors, he made his third visit to the mountain at Cerro Gordo, in eastern Antioquia, where he had come close to losing his life.
Neto said the devastation had ultimately created a lasting connection across the continent. “After so much pain, a tragedy created a brotherhood that will endure forever,” he said, adding that Chapecoense had spent ten years mourning while continuing to receive the affection “that only a brother can give”.
- Representatives of the club from southern Brazil attended the ceremony organised in La Unión.
- The gathering remembered all 71 victims of one of world football’s most devastating disasters.
- Debris from the aircraft remains visible in the surrounding landscape, alongside a route marked by white crosses.
Memorials in La Unión and Medellín
Chapecoense’s delegation gathered in prayer at the cemetery, where players and directors embraced before unveiling a monolith carrying the names of those who died.
A new memorial on the mountain displays photographs of the victims beneath the words “Champions of Heaven”. The setting has become a place of pilgrimage for those connected to the club and for local residents who responded in the immediate aftermath of the crash.
In Medellín, Atlético Nacional also joined the anniversary observances. At the Colombian club’s headquarters, a mural was unveiled showing players from both teams alongside the word “Fraternity”.
From loss to lasting affection
Neto’s own playing career was eventually ended by the consequences of the crash, with the defender retiring in 2019. He said the raw sorrow of the early years had gradually become “longing, respect and affection”.
Chapecoense described the visit as an encounter with memory and with the people who will not be forgotten. The club said the events of 2016 still connect Chapecó and Medellín beyond national borders, a relationship that has endured long after the unfinished final became a symbol of solidarity across South American football.
