Barcelona invite Chapecoense to play in Joan Gamper Trophy

Spanish football club Barcelona have sent an invitation to Brazilian side Chapecoense to play in next summer's Joan Gamper Trophy match at Camp Nou in tribute to the 71 people who died in a tragic airplane accident in Colombia last month.

Nineteen of Chapecoense's players, backroom staff and club officials were among those killed when a flight carrying the team from Bolivia to Colombia for the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional, crashed in Medellin last week.

The South America governing body for football, CONMEBOL, had earlier this week officially named Chapecoense at the winner of the Copa Sudamericana title, at the request of Atletico Nacional.

The football world has united in its support for the Brazilian side, with numerous clubs and players having offered to help the club in the wake of the incident.
 
The Catalan club are yet to confirm a date for the game next year, which usually takes place in early-to-mid August. The club also said they want to help Chapecoense with both their "institutional and sporting reconstruction."

"Barcelona want to pay homage to the 71 people who died in the accident and their families," the club said in a statement.

"The club will work so that the Joan Gamper Trophy 2017 provides a huge homage to them from the football world through different initiatives surrounding the game.

"With the invitation of Chapecoense to the Joan Gamper Trophy, Barcelona want to collaborate with the institutional and sporting reconstruction of the club and help them recover the competitive level they had.

"Barcelona sent a formal letter to Chapecoense's current board of directors on Thursday."

ESPN