Barcelona host tragedy struck Chapecoense in friendly

Barcelona will host Chapecoense in a friendly on 7 August to pay tribute to those who died when the Brazilian team’s plane crashed last November.

Only three of the club’s players survived the crash on 29 November, when 71 of 77 people on board died.

Barcelona say the game will help Chapecoense”rebuild institutionally and recover the competitive level it had before the tragedy”.

The winner of the game at the Nou Camp will receive the Joan Gamper Trophy. The annual invitational game is traditionally where Barcelona unveil their team for the new season to home fans.

The crash happened as Chapecoense were travelling to face Colombian side Atletico Nacional in the final of the Copa Sudamericana.

Defenders Neto and Alan Ruschel, and goalkeeper Jackson Follmann, who had his leg amputated, were among the six survivors, while 19 players and the coaching staff died.

They signed 25 new players this season and promoted nine from the youth team.