Title awarded to ill-fated club

Chapecoense given the Copa Sudamericana

THE Brazilian club Chapecoense, who lost most of their players in an air crash last week, have been awarded the Copa Sudamericana championship by the governing body of South American football.

In a statement on Monday, CONMEBOL said they awarded the title “as a posthumous homage to the victims of the fatal crash that leaves our sport in mourning.”

Nineteen of Chapecoense’s players were killed in the crash just outside Medellin, Colombia, as the team headed to the first of two matches against Colombian club Atletico Nacional to determine the champion of the Copa Sudamericana — Latin America’s No 2 club tournament.

As the winner, Chapecoense qualifie automatically for next season’s Copa Libertadores, the continent’s top tournament.

This also means that Chapecoense will face Atletico Nacional — the defending Copa Libertadores champions — in an emotion-charged twogame series next year between the continent’s two club champions.

CONMEBOL also awarded Atletico Nacional their Fair Play award. CONMEBOL said they were asked to award Chapecoense the title by the directors of Atletico Nacional.

Chapecoense are likely to field a team next season of borrowed players from other clubs.

Later on Monday the club confirmed it will not play against Atletico Mineiro on Sunday in the last round of the Brazilian championship.

Atletico has agreed with that decision as the result won’t impact the position of either team in the tournament. All the other games will proceed, the Brazilian football confederation said.

Meanwhile, Brazil have invited Colombia to play a friendly match next month with proceeds from the game going to families of the Chapecoense players and staff killed in the Medellin air crash, a Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) spokesman said on Monday.

“The idea is that the game will be against Colombia, for all that represents,” the spokesman said, “but we don’t know if they will be able to come because of the dates.

“But a friendly will take place, against someone else if not Colombia, probably on either Jan 22 or 25.

“The proceeds from the match will be sent to the families of the players, the staff and those involved with Chapecoense who died in the crash.”

The CBF also said it would donate US$1.46 million (RM6.5 million) to Chapecoense to help the club get back on their feet. Agencies