Internacional incident

Colombia plane crash: Fans of Brazilian club burn their own team’s shirt after vice-president sickeningly compares relegation to plane crash

Internacional vice-president Fernando Carvalho said: "We have our own private tragedy, which is relegation."

• SAM STREET

• Published: 22:17, 2 Dec 2016
• Updated: 16:06, 7 Dec 2016

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INTERNACIONAL vice-president Fernando Carvalho has stunned Brazil by comparing his own team's potential relegation to Chapecoense's tragic plane crash on Tuesday.

A plane crash outside Medellin, Colombia saw 71 people tragically killed including all but three Chapecoense players on board the flight.

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However, Internacional are facing relegation and Carvalho complained that the postponement could affect their chances.

When the decision was announced two days ago, he said: "We have our own private tragedy, which is [trying to] escape relegation.

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"This postponement of the final round will definitely be prejudicial.

"This is not the time to comment, but this postponement will certainly bring some embarrassment, which we will have to comment on later."

Fans of the club could not believe what they were hearing from their vice-president and one group even took the extreme measure of burning their own shirts.

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Meanwhile Marinho, a winger from relegation-threatened Vitoria, who was close friends with many of the Chapecoense players, posted an emotional message on Instagram.

He wrote: "It doesn't feel real that I am talking about all those who have gone. A life of dreams, plans and all of this remains difficult to believe.

"I sleep and wake up trying to believe that all this is a nightmare that is going to stop!

"And there are people talking about the championship? Spare me the ignorance!

"For me it's over. The lives of so many people have ended and families are suffering.

"Yet many ask about football, and if this prejudices their club.

"It's hard to see this type of comment when all I want today is for them to come back, for the families to be happy and healthy again!"

Carvalho later apologised for his comments with a statement saying: "I'd like to apologise for the incorrect comments I made in my interview with Pampa, Record and SBT.

"It was never my intention to compare the devastating tragedy of Chapecoense, an institution which I hold in the highest esteem, to the situation of Internacional in the Brazilian Championship.

"It was certainly a huge mistake of mine to use the word 'tragedy' to refer to our case.

"Internacional reaffirms its commitment to the legal and moral foundations of the competition, which gives results on the pitch the respect they deserve, whether unfavourable, like our recent ones, or the immense achievements of our history.

"Wherever our next results take us, Internacional will walk away with invariable dignity."

The Internacional president also intervened to suggest the club now favour postponing the final round of the competition altogether.