The first Corinthians game after the bus accident that killed seven club fans, in the early hours of last Sunday (20), was marked by tributes to the victims.
This Tuesday (22), at the Neo Química Arena, in Itaquera, a minute of silence was respected by the alvinegro team and by Estudiantes, from Argentina, before the first confrontation between the teams for the quarterfinals of the competition.
The match ended with a 1-0 victory for the São Paulo team, a goal scored by defender Gil, in the 17th minute of the first half. Corinthians still left the game complaining about a penalty, in the initial stage, when defender Lollo deflected the ball with his hand inside the area. The video referee, however, did not indicate an infraction.
The return match will be next Tuesday (29), in Argentina. A draw gives the vacancy to the Brazilian formation.
Before the ball rolled, with part of the stadium lights off, the arena’s electronic panels displayed the names of the victims of the accident that occurred on Saturday.
According to the Parque São Jorge club, the names of the fans who died in the serious accident are: Allan Luiz Sampaio Aguiar, Andrew Nicolas Francisco, Hamilton Rogério dos Santos, José Antônio da Silva, Renan Wellington Barbosa, Rodrigo Lacerda de Barros and Vanderlei Rosielton Henrique Simao.
All the Corinthian players took to the field with a black band on their arm, just as the women’s team had done the night before, in a game for the Campeonato Paulista.
The corner flags also had a small tribute. Traditionally white, tonight’s flags were replaced by black flags, as a sign of mourning.
In the seventh minute of the match, in reference to the number of people who lost their lives, the fans who were present at the Neo Química Arena waved black bladders.
Corinthians had to consult Conmebol to carry out each of the tributes, as the entity has a strict protocol before matches in competitions organized by the confederation.
The accident
In the early hours of last Sunday (20), seven people died in an overturn with a bus carrying Corinthians fans, in Igarapé, Minas Gerais. The accident occurred at km 525 of the Fernão Dias highway, on the way down the mountain.
Another seven people remain hospitalized in hospitals in Belo Horizonte and Betim, in the metropolitan region of the capital of Minas Gerais.
Corinthians paid for transportation, wakes and other expenses related to the accident for the fatal victims and seven other people who remain hospitalized.
The vehicle overturned at 2:50 am, while returning to the city of Taubaté, in São Paulo. In total there were 43 passengers, 36 were injured and seven died on the spot.
The crowd had traveled to see the team play against Cruzeiro, in Belo Horizonte, on Saturday night (19). The bus carried supporters from the Gaviões da Fiel headquarters in Vale do Paraíba, in São Paulo.
According to information from the Minas Gerais Fire Department, before hitting a ravine and overturning, the driver of the vehicle would have shouted that the bus had no brakes.
According to ANTT (National Land Transport Agency), the bus that overturned was irregular because it was neither registered nor authorized to travel interstate.
