Associação Chapecoense de Futebol facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Chapecoense

Full name	Associação Chapecoense de Futebol
Nickname(s)	Verdão (Big Green) Furacão do Oeste (Western Hurricane) Chape (Chape) Chape terror (Chape Terror) Eternos Campeões (Eternal Champions)
Founded	10 May 1973; 52 years ago (1973-05-10)
Ground	Arena Condá
Ground Capacity	22,600
President	Alex Passos
Head coach	Gilmar Dal Pozzo
League	Campeonato Brasileiro Série B Campeonato Catarinense
2022 2022	Série B, 14th of 20 Catarinense, 6th of 12
Home colours Away colours

Associação Chapecoense de Futebol, often called Chapecoense, is a Brazilian football club. It is located in the city of Chapecó in the state of Santa Catarina.

The club started in 1973. Its main goal was to bring football back to the city. Chapecoense won its first state championship, the Campeonato Catarinense, in 1977. So far, they have won six state titles. Their most recent win was in 2017.

Chapecoense is known as a smaller club. They first played in Brazil's top league, Série A, in 1978. They returned to the top league in 2014. The club also plays futsal, a type of indoor football. They have won the state championship in futsal twice. Chapecoense plays its home games at Arena Condá.

On November 28, 2016, a plane carrying the team crashed. This happened as they were flying to Medellín, Colombia. They were going to play in the final of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana. This match was the biggest in the club's history. Most of the 77 people on board died. Only three Chapecoense players survived. After the crash, the opposing team, Atlético Nacional, asked for Chapecoense to be given the trophy. The football organization CONMEBOL agreed and awarded Chapecoense the trophy on December 5. Atlético Nacional also received a special award for their kind act.

Club History

Chapecoense was founded on May 10, 1973. It was formed when two local clubs, Atlético Chapecoense and Independente, joined together.

In 1977, Chapecoense won its first major title. They beat Avaí 1–0 in the final of the Campeonato Catarinense.

The club played in the Brazilian Championship for the first time in 1978. They finished in 51st place that year. The next year, they finished in 93rd place.

In 2002, the club changed its name for a short time. It was called Associação Chapecoense Kindermann/Mastervet due to a partnership. By 2006, the club went back to its original name. That same year, they won the Copa Santa Catarina. In 2007, they won the state championship for the third time. They also played in the Brazilian Championship Third Level. Chapecoense won the Campeonato Catarinense again in 2011 and 2016.

Chapecoense returned to the Série A in 2014. This was their first time in the top league since 1979. They earned promotion after a 1–1 draw against Bragantino. They played well in their first season back in the top league. This helped them stay in Série A for the 2015 season.

In 2016, Chapecoense made history. They reached the finals of the Copa Sudamericana. This is South America's second-biggest club football tournament. They beat San Lorenzo de Almagro to get to the final. They were later given the title after the tragic plane crash.

The 2016 Plane Crash

On November 28, 2016, a plane carrying 77 people crashed. This included players and staff from the club. The accident happened near Medellín, Colombia. Out of 77 people, 71 died. This included almost the entire first team and coaching staff. Six people survived the crash.

The surviving players were Alan Ruschel, Jakson Follmann, and Neto. Jakson Follmann had to have one of his legs removed due to his injuries. He could no longer play professional football. Goalkeeper Danilo first survived but later died in the hospital. Another goalkeeper, Nivaldo, did not go on the flight. He decided to retire from football soon after.

It was found that the crash happened because the plane ran out of fuel. The pilot had asked to land due to fuel problems. However, he was told to wait because another plane had an emergency. The government of Bolivia stopped the airline's flying license. This was because the pilot had skipped a needed refueling stop.

Because of the crash, the 2016 Copa Sudamericana Finals were stopped. Chapecoense was supposed to play in this final. Their opponents, Atlético Nacional, offered to let Chapecoense be awarded the championship. On December 4, 2016, Chapecoense's president announced that CONMEBOL would give the club the tournament title. They would also receive the prize money. Other Brazilian clubs offered to loan players to Chapecoense for free. They also asked the Brazilian FA to protect the club from relegation for three years. However, Chapecoense chose to rebuild their team on their own.

Chapecoense was asked to play their next league game. This was meant to honor the players and staff who died. The club's president said the Brazilian FA wanted them to play. They suggested using players from their Under-20s team. However, both Chapecoense and their opponents, Atlético Mineiro, refused to play the game. Both teams were given a 3–0 loss for not playing.

Recent Years

As champions of the Copa Sudamericana, Chapecoense got to play in the 2017 Copa Libertadores. This was their first time in that important tournament. They built a new team with loan players, new signings, and young players. Two players who survived the crash also played. They won their first match against Zulia in Venezuela.

On November 27, 2019, the club was moved down from Série A. This happened almost three years after the plane crash. They lost 0–1 to Botafogo.

On January 12, 2021, Chapecoense was promoted back to Série A. This was one year after they were relegated. They won 2–1 against their state rivals, Figueirense.

Club Sponsors

As of 2016, Chapecoense had several sponsors. Umbro, an English company, provided their sports kits. Caixa Econômica Federal is a Brazilian bank that sponsored them. Unimed is a Brazilian health insurance company. Aurora Alimentos, a food company from Chapecó, was also a sponsor.

Club Honours

Other Titles

• Taça Santa Catarina (2): 1979, 2014

Runner-Up Finishes

• Recopa Sudamericana (1): 2017
• Copa Suruga Bank (1): 2017
• Campeonato Brasileiro Série B (1): 2013
• Campeonato Catarinense (8): 1978, 1991, 1995, 2009, 2013, 2018, 2019, 2021
• Copa Santa Catarina (1): 1996
• Recopa Catarinense (1): 2021

See also

In Spanish: Associação Chapecoense de Futebol para niños