Soccer is a game for the romantics. Every year there are always a few clubs or a few communities that shock the soccer world through their triumphs. A few examples include Costa Rica's stunning 2014 World Cup run or Leicester City's famous run to the Premier League title this year. Soccer is a game where the small are given the chance to trump the big.
Sadly, this week one of those "romantic" teams was taken away from us early Tuesday morning on November 29th when a plane carrying the Chapecoense football team and a few journalists from Fox Brazil crashed in a mountain range near Medellin, Columbia. The team was on their way to the biggest game in their history, a South American cup final against the mighty Athletico Nacional of Columbia. Sadly, 77 passengers died and only three Chapecoense players survived their injuries because the plane ran out of fuel just a few miles from a runway.
Before we go any further into the reaction of the football world, we must understand why this football club means so much to so many...
Chapecoense is by no means one of the biggest clubs in Brazil - in fact they are relatively small. Their stadium only holds 22,600 while larger clubs like Palmerias can fit crowds of upwards of 50,000. Chapeco is also relatively small with a population of 600,000 located in the state of Santa Caterina (it is not one of the wealthiest states in Brazil). Chapecoense are underdogs in every sense of the word.
It is even more amazing to think that only seven years ago the team was in the fourth division of Brazil (Serie D)! Though through an emphasis on recruiting within their small budget and building a deep connection with their fan base and city, they worked their way up to Serie A last season and finished a solid 14th place while building a welcoming and passionate atmosphere that even away fans love.
This season, Chape played in their first international competition, the Copa Sudamericana (South America's second best competition). Their journey to the final consisted of beating Argentinian giants Independiente in the round of 16, Columbia side Junior in the quarterfinals and former South American champions San Lorenzo in the semi-finals after a heroic performance by their goalkeeper Danilo. This year Chapecoense felt like a team of destiny.
However; that all came to an end on Tuesday morning with these unfortunate circumstances.
For me, as a diehard soccer fan, it was hard to fathom what just happened. I felt a large pang in my heart like one of my good friends had died. I just couldn't understand how it could all go wrong before one of the biggest moments in modern sporting history.
Throughout the day I looked at the reactions on Twitter. Everyone who loved soccer was getting their voices heard by using the hashtag #FuerzaChape. This message resonated through the whole week, as stories continued to flood out of the unfortunate situation.
One of those stories was about Danilo (the goalkeeper who played a pivotal role in their success). It wasn't even a story, it was just a picture... a picture of Danilo playing soccer with his young boy in Chapecoense's stadium just before they left.
Seeing this tore me to pieces like it did to everyone I showed it to. We all felt sympathy for that little boy who would now grow up without a father to look up to.
Another story was just a video of Chapecoense's players celebrating in the locker room after they won the tie against San Lorenzo. The players were chanting in unison, jumping up and down as one collective, joyful unit. This video was posted on Chapecoense's Twitter page because they wanted their players to be remembered like this.
Their were other stories about how one player's wife told him not to go on the plane because she "had a bad feeling" or the photo of the three players that were left behind because of injuries and the collective shock on their faces when they heard the news.
As these stories continued to trend, the soccer world came together in ways I never thought possible.
First, Atletico Nacional asked CONMEBOL (South American football's governing body) to crown Chapecoense champions (which they did).
Then, all Brazilian clubs in the Serie A asked that Chapecoense be exempt from relegation for 3 years and that they can get new players from other Brazilian clubs on free loans in order to rebuild their squad.
Later, the likes of Christiano Ronaldo and Paris Saint Germain donated millions in order to help out Chapecoense.
Perhaps the best gesture of all came from Atletico Nacional's fans who held a vigil on Wednesday night (when the game was supposed to be played) in their stadium where 150,000 people inside and outside their home ground came in order to honor the squad. The overhead sights of the Atletico Nacional's ground are something I have never seen in all my year's of watching soccer. Fox Deportes also held a 90 minute moment of silence during the time when the game was scheduled to take place in order to honor the players.
Overall, it was a tough week for all soccer fans. It was as if the romantic Cinderella novel ended in a sudden tragedy.
However despite all the horrific stories and emotions that shook Brazil; the soccer world came came together in a way that gives me hope for our world.
The world today is pretty divided but to see clubs, countries, and people come together to support a small club through tough times is something that I think just shows how profound and thoughtful the fans of the global game are.
Chapecoense are truly an amazing club and the story of their rise is something that can give us all inspiration. Their story of their fall however can also give us hope in humanity that despite our differences we can come together when someone else is in need.
Chapecoense are the eternal champions and may their memories live on in all of us. #FuerzaChape
