Brazilians link arms to hug Rio’s Maracana in tribute to soccer plane crash victims

Record ID: 76381

  • Title: Brazilians link arms to hug Rio’s Maracana in tribute to soccer plane crash victims
  • Date: 8th December 2016
  • Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (DECEMBER 06, 2016) (REUTERS) ****WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** PEOPLE GATHERED AROUND MARACANA STADIUM VARIOUS OF BRAZILIANS HOLDING HANDS AS THEY LOOP AROUND THE MARACANA STADIUM CARS BEEPING ON ROAD TO PEOPLE LINKING ARMS AROUND THE STADIUM EVENT ORGANISER, JONATAN COSTA, RALLYING PEOPLE TO HOLD HANDS AROUND STADIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) EVENT ORGANISER, JONATAN COSTA, SAYING: "I decided to take this idea to Twitter, I took a poll to see if people would take to the idea of coming to the Maracana. Thankfully the responses were positive and as a result it started this campaign which has had a great effect, thank God." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AROUND STADIUM SINGING CHANT FOR CHAPECOENSE TEAM PEOPLE SINGING TEAM CHANT AS THEY HOLD GREEN AND YELLOW BALLOONS PLACARD THAT READS "STRENGTH CHAPECOENSE" FAMILY TAKING SELFIE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) AREA SOCCER REFEREE, FABRICIO LEMOS SAYING: "We are all brothers in Rio de Janeiro regardless of your team or colour. I'm happy to be here (at event), unfortunately this incident happened but we are here as a show of strength for Chapecoense." (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) EVENT PARTICIPANT, WILLAN SANTOS, SAYING: "It's a coming together for Chapecoense. It is a great pleasure to be here because there is no rivalry here." FANS OF LOCAL TEAM FLAMENGO HUGGING PLANE FLYING ABOVE
  • Embargoed: 23rd December 2016 00:51
  • Keywords: Brazil Rio de Janeiro Maracana Chapeco Chapecoense soccer plane crash
  • Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • City: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • Country: Brazil
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015C0U1QF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Brazilian soccer fans linked arms around Rio de Janeiro's iconic Maracana stadium in tribute to the Chapecoense soccer club which lost almost all its players in a tragic plane crash in Colombia.
    The disaster on Monday (November 28) killed 71 people and shocked soccer fans the world over. The LAMIA Bolivia BAe146 airliner apparently ran out of fuel, lost electrical power and was preparing for an emergency landing when it crashed.
    Only six people survived, including three members of the soccer squad en route to the Copa Sudamericana final, the biggest game in its history.
    The Maracana tribute came about on social media, going viral on Twitter. A Facebook posting for the event had some 35,000 people confirmed for attendance.
    "I decided to take this idea to Twitter, I took a poll to see if people would take to the idea of coming to the Maracana. Thankfully the responses were positive and as a result it started this campaign which has had a great effect, thank God," said event organiser, Jonatan Costa.
    Although the football team hailed from the southern city of Chapeco, Brazil has been united in grief over the tragedy.
    "We are all brothers in Rio de Janeiro regardless of your team or colour. I'm happy to be here (at event), unfortunately this incident happened but we are here as a show of strength for Chapecoense," said local soccer referee, Fabricio Lemos.
    Even rival teams put competitive differences aside for the Rio tribute.
    "It's a coming together for Chapecoense. It is a great pleasure to be here because there is no rivalry here," said participant, Willan Santos.
    South American soccer's governing body CONMEBOL awarded the 2016 Copa Sudamericana championship to Brazil's Chapecoense club earlier this week in tribute to those lost in the tragedy.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register