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Chapecoense: Brazil's Leicester who were on the verge of something special
Jack Lang looks at the fairytale story that turned to tragedy with many of the Chapecoense players killed in a plane crash in Colombia
The match
Chapecoense were en route to the first leg of the final of the Copa Sul-Americana, the South American equivalent of the Europa League. It was to be the first continental final in their history – a massive achievement for a team that was only promoted to Brazil's top flight three seasons ago.
They saw off Independiente and San Lorenzo on the way to the final, the second leg of which was to be played some 400km away from their home city of Chapecó. That's because their own Arena Condá lacked the capacity and infrastructure to host a major final.
The history
Chapecoense were formed in 1973 when two amateur clubs merged. They quickly rose to the top of the local football scene, winning a state championship in 1977, but success would be more intermittent over the decades that followed and financial mismanagement saw them fall from grace in the early 2000s.
In 2008, their poor performance in the Campeonato Catarinense saw them fail to even qualify for the fourth flight of the national championship, prompting a good deal of soul-searching. But they managed to bounce back from that nadir in amazing style and have finished higher in the Brazilian pyramid every year since, getting promoted to Série A for the 2014 season.
[SOUTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL SUSPENDED AFTER PLANE CRASH]
Despite relatively modest financial resources, they have been brilliant in the top flight, consistently mixing it with much more traditional sides, especially on home soil. They currently sit ninth with one game of the season remaining - a place currently occupied in the Premier League by West Bromwich Albion.
The squad and manager
Chape's squad is not full of recognisable names: Cléber Santana, formerly of Atlético Madrid and Malaga, is probably the most famous player. The key man this season has been goalkeeper Danilo, a fine shot-stopper.
The manager, Caio Júnior, has been the mastermind of their 2016 season. A calm, softly-spoken operator for whom Chape represented the opportunity for a career renaissance after a few tough years. His ability to get gritty performances from a relatively modest squad earned him plenty of plaudits this term.
The Leicester comparisons
Perhaps inevitably, Chape's ability to punch above their weight in Brazil led to comparisons with Leicester City. Like the Foxes, this is a team that has outperformed clubs with far more money, courtesy of organisation, togetherness and an amazing work ethic.
"Our team really reminds me of Leicester, a team from an unfancied city that was able to win an important title," said Caio Júnior earlier this season. "I want to make a mark this season with this club, this group of players."
