After Air Crash, CBF Studies to Protect Chapecoense in the Brazilian Championship

11/30/2016 - 12h13

The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF, in its Portuguese acronym) studies a protection for Chapecoense in the dispute of the Brazilian Championship of 2017.

Nineteen players of the football team died on Tuesday (29) in a plane crash in Colombia, where the team would play its first final outside Brazil.

The proposal will be presented to the tournament's technical council, due to take place at the beginning of the year.

The idea, which has the support of the main clubs of the first division, is to include an article that guarantees the maintenance of Chapecoense in Série A, at the top of the Brazilian football league system, regardless of its placement in the championship.

In order to not disadvantage the teams of Serie B, if the team finishes in the relegation zone, one of the possibilities would be to make the 2018 Brazilian Championship with 21 teams.

The "Estatuto do Torcedor" (Fan Statute), however, prohibits changes in rules of competition less than two years before it happens.

On Tuesday (29), 11 clubs issued a joint statement of solidarity to the Chapecó team. In it, they commit to help with free loans of athletes and ask CBF to leave the team of Santa Catarina State out of relegation in the next three seasons.

Conmebol (South American Football Confederation) president, Alejandro Dominguez, landed in Medellín in the late afternoon, place where Chapecoense would face Atlético Nacional on Wednesday (30) in the first game of the South American Cup final. The game has been suspended.

He said the future of the tournament would be decided at a confederation's board meeting.

The Colombian club asked Conmebol to declare the team from Santa Catarina the champion. Thus, Chapecoense would guarantee a place in the Libertadores da América competition next year.

In a statement, FIFA president Gianni Infantino lamented the tragedy.

Translated by MARINA DELLA VALLE

Read the article in the original language