The rise of Chapecoense: A Brazilian footballing fairytale turned to tragedy

Associação Chapecoense divulga vídeo onde o time aparece comemorando no vestiário

As left-back Dener bombed down the left flank, the 25-year-old journeyman looked up and surveyed his options in the middle.

San Lorenzo defenders stood off, and allowed the whipped cross, but the ex-Coritiba, Ituano and Caxias fullback had pitched it behind the two arriving Chapecoense forwards attacking the penalty box.

Yet somehow, the winger Ananias had read the situation and pivoted as he realised the centre was heading behind him. His marker, Argentina international left-back Emanuel Mas read it a second later, and slipped; as he did so, the Brazilian took a touch with his right, swivelled, and fired into the back of the net with his left, beating Sebastian Torrico down low.

In the stands, the 50 or so supporters who had travelled from Chapeco, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, cheered. They jumped, they hugged, they waved state flags deliriously. On the sideline, coach Caio Junior, a former striker with Gremio and Internacional, as well as Vitoria Guimaraes and Belenenses in Portugal, pumped his fists. On the bench, defensive midfielder Josimar - substituted minutes earlier - cried.

A side who average 7,000 at domestic league games had silenced the 40,000 Argentines in attendance. A vital away goal against one of Buenos Aires footballing powerhouses. When the second leg ended one week later, Ananias magic moment had proved decisive.

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Arguably the greatest goal in the clubs history, it sent the Verdo to a first ever continental final, to face the reigning Copa Libertadores champions - Colombian giants Atletico Nacional.

The feeling remained that it wasnt meant to ever be like this. Now, tragically, the fairytale of Chape will go no further.

News that the chartered La Mia 146 flight carrying 81 passengers, including 22 members of the clubs first-team squad, crashed en route to Medellin broke on Tuesday morning.

Of the 81, 76 are believed to have died. Football is united in grief and CONMEBOL, the South American football federation, have suspended all football activity in the wake of the accident.

The debris of the plane carrying the Brazilian football team Chapecoense (Photo: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)The harrowing image of the club"s badge, among the wreckage (Photo: Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock)Read More

Were gathered at the stadium, welcoming people who are affected, people who love Chapecoense said club vice-president Ivan Tozzo. Its an unbelievable situation. The penny has yet to drop. Were just waiting, everyone putting our faith in G*d that things will go our way. The pain is hard to take."

The vicissitude was every bit as unlikely as the club"s rise through the Brazilian ranks, becoming a progressive club among the country"s mad-cap footballing landscape, after decades treading water below the surface.

Ananias and teammates the crucial goal in San Lorenzo (Photo: LatinContent/Getty)

Founded in 1973 by the merger of Atletico Chapecoense and Independente, it was hoped that the new club - Associao Chapecoense de Futebol to give them their full title - would represent Chapeco - just over 200,000 inhabitants - and be a symbol of pride for their small city. Just four years later, the club won its first title - the Santa Catarina State Championship - beating much-bigger, more established rivals Avai 1-0 in the final, thanks to a goal five minutes from time through substitute Jaime.

The following year, they competed for the first time in the Brazilian championship, holding their own. It was hoped that this was the start of them establishing themselves, challenging the Sao Paulo and Porto Alegre behemoths who ruled the game. It didnt work out as such.

The following year brought relegation from the top tier, and led to something of a wandering existence in the lower reaches of the Brazilian game. Among the convoluted structure of the Brazilian game, state titles were won in 1996, 2007, 2011.

But a modest club they struggled to compete with even the more modest clubs in Brazils second tier, let alone the likes of the countrys most historic, long-standing pillars such as Atletico Mineiro, Gremio, Flamengo, Gremio, Sao Paulo and Santos.

Attempts to improve and kick on were attempted during their 30-plus years in the wilderness, including in 2002, a change of name to Associao Chapecoense Kindermann/Mastervet, after partnering with the sports marketing company. It made little difference and they reverted to the original just four years later.

Chape had largely meandered among the vast Brazilian footballing landscape (Photo: Getty)The last three years have seen their rise as heroes (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

But in 2013, Chape returned. The previous year, they had clambered out of the third tier, promoted after reaching the semi-finals of the post-season knockout competition on the back of an 18-game league stage where they had finished third, conceding just 12 goals in the process. That had come four years after promotion from Serie D.

The aforementioned backbone, the solid defence, remained in their debut season in Serie B, as the Verdao shocked the country by making it back-to-back promotions. Gilmar Dal Pozzos side lost just six times - conceding just 31 goals in 38 games - to claim a place in Serie A and end their 35 year absence, finishing behind only champions Palmeiras (the five-time Brazilian kings), whom they beat at home and drew with in Sao Paulo.

At their modest long-time home, the Arena Conda and led by a new manager, Celso Rodrigues, the Verdao claimed safety on their first year back in the top division with a 15th place finish. Victory in 11 of their 38 games, plus 10 draws, helped them on their way to 43 points, five clear of the four relegated sides. It had been a struggle, but the form of on-loan striker Leandro fired them to safety, as the 22-year-old notched 10 goals - all in the final four months of the season.

That success ensured a place in the 2015 Copa Sudamericana - the sister competition to the Copa Libertadores (think Europa League to Champions League) - and doubling their workload. In the hostile arena that is Brazilian management, they twice changed manager during the calendar year, leaving Guto Ferreira to eventually lead them to another year in Serie A, with a 14th place finish.

Chape held their own among the Brazilian big boys these past three years (Photo: Getty Images)

On their first continental sojourn, they reached the quarter-finals, only to be beaten by Argentine giants River Plate 4-3 on aggregate. The expectation was that this, a meeting with Los Millonarios, Argentinas most honoured club at El Monumental, would be as good as it would get. This was akin to Malagas Champions League run in 2013, a small club, getting where they had no right and where they would never go again.

Except they did. And except, they improved. For while 2015 was a magnificent journey, the past nine months have seen only further improvement. While Ferreira may have left mid-season to join Bahia, the side didnt miss a step and under Caio Junior, in their third year in the top division, Chape have looked even more at home. With just one league game left, scheduled to be a home tie against Atletico Mineiro this weekend, they sit ninth their greatest ever league campaign.

And yet that isn"t even half the story given their continental adventure of 2016.

Supporters have seen the best years in the club"s history (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

They claimed victory over fellow Brazilians Cuiaba (3-2 on aggregate) in the second round, before beating Argentine heavyweights Independiente - South America"s most successful club - on penalties in the round of 16 (following back-to-back 0-0 draws). A 3-0 home win over Colombian outfit Junior in the quarter-final second leg followed a 1-0 loss in Barranquilla, ensuring a place in the final four.

There they came up against another of Argentinas most mighty: San Lorenzo. After Martin Cauteruccio had opened the scoring in the first period for the hosts, Chape left Buenos Aires with a 1-1 draw in their pocket thanks to Ananias, before holding their own in the home leg to claim a place in the final with an away goals victory, courtesy of a 0-0 draw.

Ananias celebrates after scoring in San Lorenzo (Photo: AFP/Getty)Defender Neto holds up San Lorenzo"s Ezequiel Cerutti during the second leg (Photo: Getty Images)What success meant to the Chape players (Photo: AFP/Getty)Read More

This was a footballing fairytale, likened to Fulhams 2010 UEFA Cup final run, or that of Spains provincial club Alaves in 2001.

Further back, its reminiscent of Aberdeens Cup Winners Cup success in 1983, where Sir Alex Ferguson"s side faced European kings Real Madrid in the final, emerging victorious.

Now, despite Atletico"s request to hand the title to Chape, the fairytale that was never meant to happen will remain unfinished.

"Life-long friends were on that flight," remarked Plinio David de Nas Filho, president of Chape"s guiding committee on Tuesday morning. "We lived in harmony, with great happiness. Before boarding the flight, they said they were going to turn their dreams into reality. The dream ended this morning."

A great tragedy, said Tozzo. A great tragedy in more ways than one.

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Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/rise-chapecoense-brazilian-footballing-fairytale-9356687