#8 Chapecoense (Reader’s Rank: 4 | Sportskeeda’s Rank 10 | Total Score 8)
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The achievements of this little Brazilian team came to light this year after a tragic plane crash which killed almost everyone on board. Chapecoense’s flight was heading to Colombia to play in the final of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana Finals when it crashed.
Chapecoense's story was one mirroring that of famous football fairy tales. For most of the club’s history, they participated in the lower rungs of Brazilian football. Their recent rise to the top tier of Brazilian football was a phenomenal one and they capped off their domestic season with a place in the final of Copa Sudamericana, the second biggest tournament in the continent.
They also achieved their highest ever finish in Brazil’s top flight this year managing to take 11th spot which was an achievement in itself for a team that had only achieved top flight status a couple years ago.
Nobody expected the minnows to make it to the final of the Copa Sudamericana let alone make the quarterfinals. But their story took a nightmarish turn just days before the final in Colombia.
The plane carrying the players, staff and coaches crashed into a landmass at Medellin, an area of Colombia. As a mark of respect, their opponents Atletico Nacional asked for the trophy to be awarded to Chapecoense with the CONMEBOL accepting their request.
Our prayers are with this wonderful team and the families who lost their loved ones in the disaster.
