Atletico National fans in Medellin gathered at their stadium to sing and honor the Chapecoense club after their tragic plane crash.
Chapecoense, a small Brazilian soccer club, was on a Cinderella run through the Copa Sudamericana this year. On Wednesday, they were set to take on Atletico National, a Colombian side, at the latter’s stadium in Medellin. That was before tragedy struck and the match was cancelled following a plane crash on a flight carrying the Brazilian club. 75 of the 81 passengers aboard perished, leaving the soccer world sad.
From South America to the rest of the soccer world, the outpouring of tributes, love, and support have been overwhelming. However, nothing was quite as emotional as the scene created by Atletico National fans in Medellin on Wednesday night.
On Wednesday when the match was supposed to be played, over 100,000 fans gathered in and around the stadium. They sang and paid tribute to the Chapecoense side, gathering in support for their fallen soccer brethren in the wake of such a tragedy:
As if that weren’t a powerful enough tribute to the Brazilian club, FOX Sports Brazil paid tribute in their own way. Obviously they were set to air the huge cup final featuring Chapecoense. Instead, they simply aired a black screen with the message “90 minutes of silence.”
Chapecoense was supposed to play Atletico Nacional now. Fox Sports in Brazil airing a black screen with a hashtag "90 minutes of silence" 👏 pic.twitter.com/QbBw5XWp8v
— Guilherme Cruz (@guicruzzz) December 1, 2016
Everyone wishes that these young athletes and coaches and everyone else who lost their lives in the fatal crash were still here.
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However, to see this kind of support and tribute from the soccer world is truly powerful. There are some things bigger than cups, than sports. Life is one of them and these fans have proven that. Even in tumultuous times, it’s good to see the humanity and love left in the world.