Atlético Nacional, the Colombian team due to face Chapecoense in this year’s Copa Sudamericana final before members of the Brazilian team’s squad tragically died in a plane crash, have offered to forfeit the trophy to their opponents.
The Medellín-based club have also set up an information hotline for friends and relatives of those killed and injured in the crash, as well as encouraging fans to bring candles to their ground tomorrow in a symbol of solidarity.
Mañana 6:45 pm todos juntos al estadio vestidos de blanco y con un vela blanca en símbolo de solidaridad #FuerzaChapecoense
— Atlético Nacional (@nacionaloficial) November 29, 2016
And now, in a written statement, the two-time Sudamericana finalists have urged South American football’s governing body Conmebol to award the trophy to the Santa Catarina-based side.
‘Atlético Nacional invites Conmebol to the title of the Copa Sudamericana be delivered to the Associação Chapecoense de Futebol as… a posthumous tribute to the victims of the fatal accident,’ the statement reads.
‘For our part, and forever, Chapecoense are champions of the Copa Sudamericana 2016.’
Alexandre Loureiro/Getty Images
In addition to the Colombian side, a number of clubs from Brazil and elsewhere in South America have come forward to offer their players to Chapecoense following the tragedy, in which 76 of the 81 people on board the plane are believed to have lost their lives.
Directors of Brazilian clubs Coritiba, Corinthians, Palmeiras, Portuguesa, Santos and Sao Paulo have all offered to loan players to the Série A club, who were due to compete in their debut Sudamericana final, as have Paraguayan outfit Libertad.
And, according to the Daily Mirror, clubs in Brazil’s top flight have also called on authorities to give Chapecoense – ninth in the league with one domestic game remaining – an exemption from relegation in 2017.
