- Title: Chapecoense crash survivor: "I want Messi's shirt"
- Date: 6th August 2017
- Summary: BARCELONA, SPAIN (AUGUST 6, 2017) (REUTERS) CHAPECOENSE PLAYERS TRAINING
- Embargoed: 20th August 2017 19:34
- Keywords: Chapecoense play Barcelona Alan Ruschel swap shirts with Messi friendly Chapecoense air crash
- Location: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- City: BARCELONA, SPAIN
- Country: Spain
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0036T0Q893
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Alan Ruschel, one of three Chapecoense players to survive the air crash that killed 71 people in Colombia last year, will return to football on Monday (August 7) in a friendly match against Barcelona.
The plane carrying the Chapecoense squad to the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional crashed into the mountains outside Medellin last November, killing all bar six of the 77 people on board.
Left back Ruschel survived, along with defender Neto, while goalkeeper Jakson Follmann had part of his leg amputated.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday (August 6) Ruschel said it was a dream to be playing against Barcelona and said the perfect gift would be to exchange shirts with star player Messi.
Ruschel spent more than two weeks in hospital following the crash and had surgery on a back injury. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None