Brazilian clubs request relegation immunity for Chapecoense, offer to loan players
Brazilian Serie A clubs have requested that Chapecoense be made immune from relegation for the next three seasons, while also offering to send players on loan for free to the tragedy-stricken club for the 2017 campaign.
Related: Plane carrying a Brazilian soccer club crashes in Colombia; 71 dead
The show of solidarity comes after a plane carrying 77 people - including 22 members of the team - crashed Monday night en route to Medellin, Colombia, killing 71 on board. Chapecoense was slated to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Medellin-based side Atletico Nacional on Wednesday.
Only three players on the flight - Alan Ruschel, Helio Zampier and Jakson Follmann - survived.
"It is a minimal gesture of solidarity that is at our disposal at the moment," Brazilian powerhouse Sao Paulo said in a statement announcing its intent to loan players to the club.
Related: Atletico Nacional requests cup goes to Chapecoense after plane tragedy
The likes of Flamengo and Palmeiras have come forth with similar gestures, with Portuguese club Benfica doing the same. Atletico Nacional, meanwhile, has asked that the Copa Sudamericana be awarded to Chapecoense in the wake of the tragedy.
Colombia's civilian aviation authority said three of the survivors from Monday's wreck are players, the crash - believed to be the result of an electrical failure - devastating a club that had enjoyed a meteoric rise up the Brazilian football pyramid in recent years.
Founded in 1973, Chapecoense was mired in the country's fourth division in 2009, returning to the top flight in 2014 after a 35-year hiatus. The impending Copa Sudamericana final, which is the South American equivalent to the Europa League, was to be the biggest match in the club's modest history.
Related: Football world pays tribute after Brazilian club's deadly plane crash