Cheers And Tears As Chapecoense Resume Football After Plane Crash

It was an emotional moment amidst cheers and tears as Brazilian side Chapecoense file out for the first game since November when the entire team and journalists were involved in a plane crash that claimed the lives of many of their players and staff.
Neto, Alan Ruschel and Jackson Follmann were presented with the trophy that was awarded to the Brazilian club after their team-mates died in a plane crash on the way to face Colombia’s Nacional in the first leg of the 2016 final on 29 November.
Follmann, who was the reserve goalkeeper, left his hospital bed for the afternoon to be at the stadium, where the club was playing their first match since the crash.
The first thing Ruschel did upon returning to Chapeco on Saturday was visit his favourite bakery.
“Yes, this was the first place I went to, we woke up really early and we hadn’t eaten, so the first place we went to was the bakery,” he said.
“We used to go there, me, [goalkeeper] Danilo and Follmann after training, so it was a good place for this new start.”
While the trophy was being received, the families of the dead players, journalists and club directors were given medals.
“It was a hard day, a bit sad, but also a day that we felt the support of all these people,” said Dhayane Pallaoro, whose father Sandro was the much-loved president of Chapecoense who died in the crash.
“We could never imagine the extent of football’s solidarity.
“One of the things I’ll never forget was my dad’s speech that we watched on the big screen,” the 28-year-old added.
“He used to say that Chapecoense was a big family, that from the kitmen to the president, they were all equal.
“They had a dream and they transformed Chapecoense into a big club, and we hope they can never be forgotten.
After the emotion of the build-up, the glorious triviality of a football match started, when Chapecoense’s new striker, Wellington Paulista, kicked off their friendly with Palmeiras.
Finally, again, the Arena Conda embraced the sights and sounds for which it was built.