Colombia plane crash — world reaction
PARIS: Reaction from around the world to the plane crash in Colombia carrying the Brazilian top- f light team Chapecoense among the 81 on board:
“Brazilian football is in mourning. It is such a tragic loss. My sincere condolences to the families of the deceased. Rest in peace.”
- Brazilian football legend Pele
“Shocked by the tragedy that happened to Chapecoense Real. Solidarity with the families and friends of all the victims. A hug for the club and for all Brazilian football.”
- Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo
“It is impossible to believe this tragedy, impossible to believe it happened, impossible to bel ieve that the plane crashed, impossible to believe that athletes, humans were on that plane, impossible to believe that these people left their families.”
- Barcelona and Brazil striker Neymar
“My deepest condolences to all the families, friends and fans of Chapecoense.”
- Argentina and Barcelona striker Lionel Messi
“Sadly those lads, who were on the way to becoming a force in football, took the wrong plane.”
- A rgent ine g reat Diego Maradona
“This is a very, very sad day for football. At this difficult time our thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends. FIFA would like to extend its most heartfelt condolences to the fans of Chapecoense, the football c ommu ni t y a nd me di a organisations concerned in Brazil.”
- F IFA President Gianni Infantino
“Pray for my teammates please.”
- Chapecoense striker Alejandro Martinuccio, who missed the trip due to injury
“Our thoughts are with Chapecoense and everyone affected by this t ragedy and their families. We are speechless.”
- Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid captain “Deeply affected by Medellin’s plane crash. I shared locker with Cleber Santana and it’s difficult to reveal how I feel. A huge hug.”
- Manchester United goalkeeper David De Gea, who played with Santana at Atletico Madrid
“My prayers and my solidarity for the survivors, families and friends of Chapecoense in this sad time.”
- Colombian striker Radamel Falcao
“We are deeply shaken by the accident concerning the club of our old player Cleber Santana. Our condolences to the families. Rest in Peace.”
- Atletico Madrid, whose former player Santana was club captain at Chapecoense
“The thoughts of everyone at Manchester United are with Chapecoense and all those affected by the tragedy in Colombia.”
- Manchester United, who lost eight players in February 1958 as their plane crashed on take off from Munich airport
“Real Madrid expresses its sorrow at the tragic air crash involving the Brazilian club Chapecoense and extends its condolences to relatives and friends of the victims. At the same time, wishing an early recovery for the survivors.”
- Real Madrid
“Al l our suppor t and solidarity is with the victims and the families affected by the Chapecoense Real tragedy in Colombia.”
- FC Barcelona LONDON: Here is a look at six other disasters: - Italy’s Torino Grande: 1949 - A plane carrying famed Italian football club ‘ Torino Grande’ crashed on its way back from Portugal on May 4, 1949, killing all 31 passengers and crew. A reported million people poured into the streets of Turin to bid farewell to their heroes. Torino Grande were named Italian champions for the fifth time in a row. The crash had a devastating impact on the Italian national squad as Torino players were its pillars. - Manchester United’s Busby Babes: 1958 - The two-time defending English champions had just reached the European Cup semi-finals with a win in Belgrade, but their plane went down in a snowstorm on February 6, 1958 after a refuelling stop in Munich. Eight of the ‘Busby Babes’ – named after manager Matt Busby – died, including star Duncan Edwards, along with three members of the staff. A total of 23 people perished. Busby himself received the last rites twice but remarkably recovered and 10 years later led a new squad of ‘Babes’ to European Cup glory. - US figure skating team: 1961 - The entire 18-member team died when their plane crashed in Belgium on February 15, 1961, on their way to compete at the World Championships in the former Czechoslovakia. Three members of a skating family were among the victims: US ladies champion Laurence Owens, 16, her sister Maribel, 20, and their mother and coach Maribel Vinson- Owen, an Olympic bronze medallist. - Uruguayan rugby team: 1972 - The Andes plane crash became an extraordinary story of survival. Forty members of Uruguay’s Old Christians rugby club were flying with relatives to Chile when their plane went down in the remote mountains on October 13, 1972. Eighteen people died immediately and another 11 succumbed later – many due to an avalanche that swept over the wreckage. Two survivors made a 10- day trek to a Chilean village to summon help and 16 were rescued more than two months after the disaster. They had resorted to cannibalism to stay alive. - Peru’s oldest football team: 1987 - A Peruvian navy plane carrying 43 people, including players and staff from Alianza Lima, the country’s oldest football team, plunged into the ocean off Lima on December 8, 1987. The airliner was returning to the capital from the jungle city of Pucallpa when the pilot reported problems with the landing gear. He survived and was recovered after floating for hours in choppy seas. - Russian ice hockey team: 2011 - The first- division Russian ice hockey team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl were wiped out – including Swedish star Stefan Liv – after their plane crashed just after taking off for a match in Minsk on September 7, 2011. Forty-four people died in all. One player survived the crash but died several days later, and only the flight engineer survived. An investigation found that one pilot had hit the brakes by accident, while the other had taken banned medication. — AFP