76 PLAYERS WITH COACHES PERISH IN A TRAGIC PLANE CRASH.

Chapecoense could be crowned Copa Sudamericana champions after Atletico Nacional confirmed that they had asked CONMEBOL to award the final in favour of the Brazilian dark horses.

The Brasileirao side's fairytale run to the final of South America's second-biggest cup competition ended in tragedy late on Monday.

Virtually all of the playing squad and coaching staff died in the incident, which also took the life of air crew and club directors.

76 passengers are confirmed to have died so far.
And Atletico Nacional, the reigning Colombian and South American champions, have confirmed that they asked South American football's governing body, CONMEBOL, to award the title to Chapecoense.

Defender, Gilberto Garcia told reporters in an emotional address:
"We're waiting for the decision that CONMEBOL takes.

"The officials will talk but we want them to declare this team as champions.
Nine players were not in the ill-fated flight due to fitness issues.

The nine footballers that didn't travel have been named locally as Alejandro Martinuccio, Neném, Demerson, Marcelo Boeck, Andrei, Hyoran, Nivaldo, Moisés and Rafael Lima.

On Wednesday night, tiny Chapecoense were due to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional.

Virtually an entire squad of players, the coaching staff and a raft of directors have now perished in tragic circumstances and the inescapable, incomprehensible grief was visible on the faces of those players who didn't travel and the fans who gravitated to the club's headquarters to try and express their helplessness and distress.

 Back-up goalkeeper Marcelo Boeck, who didn't travel, was given permission to miss the trip because it was his birthday, his agent has revealed.

The son of Chapecoense's coach, who died in the
plane crash late has revealed that he only didn't board the ill-fated flight after forgetting his passport.

Matheus Saroli, whose father Caio Junior was one of 76 to perish in the tragic crash of LaMia flight 146, also asked for privacy for his family at a difficult time.

"Friends, my brother and my mother are all well," he said in a Facebook post.

"We ask that we are given a little privacy, especially to my mother, and thank all of those sending messages.

"I was in Sao Paulo today and didn't board the flight because I had forgotten my passport.
"We are strong, we are going to get past this. Thank you everyone.