The two teams played at the Atanasio Girardot on a day marked by the memory of the 71 victims, tributes, and the presence of Hélio Neto, one of the survivors
A friendly brought Atlético Nacional and Chapecoense together again at the Atanasio Girardot, ten years after the same stadium hosted the first leg of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana final. This time there was no title at stake, but a day marked by the memory of the plane crash that forever changed the history of both clubs and gave rise to a bond that remains to this day.
The day began with various gestures that reflected the relationship built between the clubs over the last decade. The players from both teams gathered around the center circle to listen to the anthems of Colombia and Brazil and then posed together for an official photograph.
Also present at the stadium was Hélio Neto, one of the six survivors of the crash and former player of Chapecoense. Before the match began, the Brazilian received affection from the fans and spoke about the bond between the two institutions. "I sincerely hope this brotherhood lasts for many years," Neto expressed, who also thanked the gesture that the Colombian team had after the tragedy by requesting CONMEBOL to award the Brazilian team the title of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana. Regarding the Colombian club, the former footballer added that "it is one of those great clubs that embraced Chapecoense (...) and made us greater."
Hélio Neto, one of the survivors of the air tragedy, was present at the Atanasio Girardot
With the friendly already underway, one of the most emotional moments came when the clock struck the 10th minute. The ball stopped rolling and all of Atanasio Girardot joined in a tribute to the71 people who lost their lives in the accident, who were represented during the match by the players' armbands inscribed with "71 always present".
Once the tribute was over, the game continued and Chapecoense took the lead in the 22nd minute. Yago Felipe took a free kick and executed a superb shot to establish the 1-0. The Brazilian avoided a conventional celebration: after scoring, he looked towards the stands and made a gesture with his fingers while receiving applause from those present, in another gesture fitting for the context of the day.
Immediately after, Atlético Nacional reacted and equalized. Emanuel Benítez appeared to score the 1-1 and, after scoring, the young player could not hold back his tears due to the emotion of the moment. The score did not change again and the friendly ended in a draw.
The friendly match ended in a 1-1 draw
It is worth mentioning that during halftime, another of the central moments of the match took place. Neto participated in the presentation of the recognition called "Captaincy of Life" to seven Colombians who were part of the rescue efforts after the accident. The tribute was dedicated to those who went to Cerro Gordo, now called Cerro Chapecoense, in the department of Antioquia, where the LaMia aircraft crashed after running out of fuel.
