Once shattered, they stand tall once again: Chapecoense

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A few months ago, a plane carrying the players and staff of the Brazilian team Chapecoense crashed near Medellin, Columbia. And it killed almost the whole of the first team and the managerial staff. The news shook the footballing world and brought tears to even the fiercest of their rivals.

But the beauty of football is not that it just provides us entertainment, but it all gives us ‘hope’. And hope is something that gives someone the courage to fight till their very last breath. And Chapecoense have tonnes and tonnes of it.

After almost 2 months of the tragic incident, the Chapecoense team took part in their first match. And it was an emotional moment for the whole footballing fraternity. They have built a new team but the faith and spirit still remains the same.

Only three players survived the plane crash and all of them were present during the match. And goalkeeper Jackson Follman, one of the survivors was given the honour to lift the Copa Sudamericana trophy. He did so with tears in his eyes and while seated in a wheelchair, as his right leg had to be amputated after the incident. Defender Neto and Alan Ruschel were also present during the ceremony and they too broke down in tears.

The family members of the deceased players were presented with medals and it was also an emotional moment for them. A crowd of 20000 people had packed the stadium to see the team play for the first time since that incident. Radio Journalist, Rafael Henzel who is also a survivor of the incident was allowed to present the match.

Since the incident, every individual, club, federation from all around the world have provided a helping hand to Chapecoense. So they that can stand on their feet once again and rebuild their team. And it looks as if the first step towards that has already started.

The Brazilian team has brought in players, refused relegation immunity just so that the can rebuild properly. And this is something that is truly commendable in itself.

We at Football Fan wish all the best to Chapecoense for their season ahead.