CHAPECOENSE: THE DISASTER AND THE SOLIDARITY THAT FOLLOWED IT

The dying minutes of an elimination match, that had so far been scoreless, saw visitors San Lorenzo threaten the home team with a free kick. Flying in from the assigned set piece, the ball landed only a few feet away from the home team’s goal. “Is this the moment?” commentators would have screamed over their microphones while fans would have held their breath as one of San Lorenzo’s forwards managed to get his strong foot on the ball, directing it towards the open goal. And yes, that was the moment. But not for the visitors. Pushing out his right leg, Danilo, the home team’s goalkeeper caught the ball midway on its journey towards the back of the net, booting it away from the goal. Moments later, the final whistle found Chapecoense, the beloved underdogs, roar in triumph, the players breathing in the noise of victory that echoed from the stands of Arena Conda.

The goalless tie with San Lorenzo meant that Chapecoense would advance to the Copa Sudamericana, owing to the fact that they had scored in the prior 1-1 match in Argentina. It also meant that they had won a chance to claim their first international title in the 43- year history of the club.

And they did win it. A little more than a week later saw Chapecoense being crowned as champions of Copa Sudamericana. Only this time, it was an accomplishment that would not be celebrated. The medals would not find collars to be hung around. No trophy would be lifted up in the air amidst joyous cheers and triumphant slogans. A team that was destined to win a title had got lost somewhere along the way, its dreams charred and broken under the shattered remains of an airplane. A chartered plane bound towards Colombia, carrying members of Chapecoense ran out of fuel and crashed in Medellin in the middle of the night, claiming the lives of 19 Chapecoense players, 21 journalists and the entire coaching staff. Only six survived.

The news hit the world like a sick blow to the stomach. The Brazilian town of Chapeco itself was a picture of mourning as people stayed up overnight watching television coverage of the disaster, until the morning saw them gather at Arena Conda with flowers and wreaths to honour their departed heroes. Days later, trucks that perhaps would have rallied around the town of Chapeco, carrying players jumping on board, their scarves swinging in the air along with the shiny silverware of a trophy, now carried coffins of lives lost as they rode towards Arena Conda. The tears of the families of the departed, coupled with those of the townsmen made way only for blurry eyes to envision a plane landing on the tarmac bringing back home their heroes.

It was a global disaster indeed, and time may find it hard to heal the scars it has left and the void it has built. And while that masterful healer is at his task, there are many in this world who have stood up in solidarity for the lives that have left us.

To begin with, the Colombian side Atletico National, who would have been Chapecoense’s opponents in the two- legged final had fate allowed it, displayed utmost consideration and respect towards their brothers from the Brazilian club by campaigning for the Copa Sudamericana title to be given to Chapecoense. CONMEBOL, the governing body of South American football complied to this wish and officially crowned the Brazilian side as champions.

The club’s officials themselves sent out a heartwarming message to the world by honouring all those who died in the tragedy through subtle changes in the badge of the club.The redesigned badge came with the addition of two stars to its original design, with the first star symbolizing the team’s posthumous conquest of Copa Sudamericana and the second star being a mark of eternalizing all those who dedicated their lives to Chapecoense.

The redesigned badge for Chapecoense

And since each little effort counts during a time of hardships, the solidarity displayed by all those who are part of the beautiful game is an effort that deserves praise. From paying silent homage to the spirits of the dead prior to every kick- off to players like Ronaldinho, Riquelme and Eidur Gudjohnsen suggesting to come out of retirement to play for the mourning club; and with FC Barcelona inviting Chapecoense to play with them in the next Joan Gamper trophy, everyone in the football community has displayed heartwarming thoughtfulness towards their lost brothers.

FC Barcelona and Real Madrid observe a minute's silence before kick- off to honour the air crash victims

These acts might not be able to fill the void that the tragedy has left upon the football world, although they do not intend to do so, but these acts are those of kindness, consideration, brotherhood, and over all, humanity, and what they do is quite different from what cold indifference yields. Such acts, in all their sincerity, make hard times endurable. Such acts give strength to all those who have been broken by the fragments of a disaster- the strength to rebuild from the ruins so that the souls who are no more amongst us are honoured forever as eternal champions.