Football remembers the tragedy of Chapecoense
This Tuesday, football remembers the tragedy of Chapecoense, the worst event for this sport so far this century, which happened exactly one year ago. This event is commemorated both in Brazil, the country of the 'Eternal Champion', and in Colombia, where the air accident took place.
On November 28, 2016, around 10:10 p.m., when LaMia flight 2933 was about to land at Rionegro International Airport in Medellin, it disappeared from the radar. The plane, coming from Bolivia, crashed into Cerro El Gordo, at an altitude of about 2600 meters in the municipality of La Union.
A total of 71 people died, including 19 players, 14 members of the technical staff, and nine directors. There were only six survivors: a flight attendant, an aviation technician, a journalist, and three players from the southern Brazilian club.
Today, the site of the tragedy is adorned with several crosses in memory of the athletes. Friends, family, and fans have come here to pay tribute to the stars who have gone on to a glory much greater than that of the football fields.
The Verdão, which was only playing in the fourth division in 2009, was going to its first international final against Colombia's Atlético Nacional in the 2016 Copa Sudamericana. According to subsequent investigations, the aircraft was low on fuel and overweight. The deceased pilot was held responsible for the accident.
Furthermore, about ten officials from the airline and the state are serving sentences in Bolivia.
