Chapecoense welcomes Atletico Nacional to Brazil with open arms

CHAPECO, Brazil (AP) – Fans of Brazilian club Chapecoense have greeted their rivals from Colombia's Atletico Nacional with open arms and genuine gratitude ahead of their first meeting to decide a South American trophy, a moment that had previously been denied the teams after an air crash killed 71 people four months ago, including 19 members of the Southern Brazilian side.

Chapecoense and Nacional will play on Tuesday in Chapeco, a city of 200,000 residents, for the first leg of the Recopa Sudamericana. The final is contested between the winners of the prestigious Copa Libertadores, won by the Colombians in 2016, and the Copa Sudamericana champions.

Both teams were supposed to play at the end of last year for the Copa Sudamericana title, but the match never took place when the plane flying the Chapecoense team to Colombia crashed. As a mark of respect, Nacional agreed that Chapecoense should be awarded the championship.

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On Monday, citizens of Chapeco showed their appreciation to the Colombians as soon as the team touched down in their southern Brazilian city. The airplane carrying the Nacional team was showered by water cannons and players were welcomed to the tune of ''Amigos para Siempre.''

Nacional staff and players then walked through a human tunnel, lined with flags of both clubs, and were presented with medals for their decision to award Chapecoense the Copa Sudamericana title. After a brief ceremony, they were paraded through the streets of Chapeco on a fire truck, and applauded all the way to their city hotel.

''This is very different,'' Nacional coach Reynaldo Rueda told journalists. ''Even at the airport in Sao Paulo, we had so many Brazilian fans coming to us. We came here many times (before) and no one, except Colombians, approached us. Now, it is as if we were from here.''

The world's tributes to Chapecoense

Atletico Nacional, the club Chapecoense was flying to play in the Copa Sudamericana final, holds a vigil in a packed stadium in Colombia to honor the victims of the plane crash.

Atletico Nacional honors Chapecoense with T-shirts prior to a league match in Colombia.

Solemn Arsenal players hold up a Força Chape banner prior to a League Cup match.

Atalanta fans pass a Chapecoense tifo around the stadium.

Fans at Club America's Liga MX playoff game against Necaxa at Estadio Azteca turn their cellphones into flashlights in honor of the Chapecoense victims.

Boca Juniors players hold up a banner that, translated, reads "We are all Chapecoense."

PSG forward Edinson Cavani reveals a Chapecoense T-shirt under his uniform after scoring a goal against Angers in Ligue 1.

Air Force members carry a casket carrying one of the victims of the Chapecoense air crash during a memorial service at the club's stadium in Chapeco, Brazil.

Chapecoense holds a memorial service at Arena Conda on a rainy day to commemorate the lives lost in the plane crash.

Manchester City and Chelsea players observe a minute's silence for the victims of the Chapecoense plane crash.

Rivals united: Barcelona and Real Madrid players stand together to honor the Chapecoense crash victims prior to El Clasico at Camp Nou.

Dortmund players stand together in silence to honor Chapecoense.

Chelsea's Brazilian players David Luiz and Willian hold up armbands with Força Chape written on them to honor the crash victims.

Everton and Manchester United players observe a moment of silence to honor Chapecoense.

Fans of Japanese club Cerezo Osaka remember Everton Kempes dos Santos Goncalves, a Chapecoense crash victim who played there in 2012.

Fiorentina and Palermo players stand silently to commemorate the Chapecoense crash victims.

Juventus players stand under a spotlight during a moment of observance for the Chapecoense victims.

Manchester City players warm up for their match vs. Chelsea with T-shirts dedicated to Chapecoense.

Fans at Tigres UANL's Liga MX playoff match vs. Leon display a giant black ribbon tifo in honor of the Chapecoense crash victims.

Argentina power River Plate wears a special jersey with a Chapecoense symbol across the chest.

Brazilian Bruno Cesar flashes a tribute to Chapecoense after scoring for Sporting Lisbon in Portugal's top flight.

AC Milan's Ignazio Abate wears a special armband and jersey to commemorate Chapecoense.

Toronto FC fans show their support for Chapecoense during the second leg of the MLS Eastern Conference final vs. Montreal.

Nacional defender Daniel Bocanegra said Tuesday's match was sure to be a deeply emotional occasion for both teams.

''It is obvious that this is more than a game,'' he said. ''We are humans, it is impossible not to hope for the best for our adversaries too.''

Billboards in the city also paid tribute to Nacional. ''When a brother visits, the whole city overflows with emotion,'' on message read. Another described Nacional as ''world champions in respect and solidarity.''

''That is the very least we could do,'' 25-year-old Chapecoense fan Douglas Priotti said. ''They were supposed to be our adversaries then, but now they are our heroes too.''

The second leg of the final will be held on May 10 at the Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellin.

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