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| Children release balloons during a tribute by the Atletico Nacional club to the players of Brazilian club Chapecoense killed in the recent airplane crash, in Medellin, Colombia |
Atletico Nacional want to win the Club World Cup as a tribute to tragedy-struck Brazilian club Chapecoense, midfielder Jhon Mosquera said.
Most of the Chapecoense team perished in a plane crash that killed all but six of the 77 people on board as they approached Medellin airport late last month to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico.
The Copa Libertadores and Colombian champions arrived in Osaka on Saturday still reeling from the shock of the tragedy but must shift their focus to Wednesdayโs semi-final against local side Kashima Antlers.
โThe team (Chapecoense) is always in our hearts and our minds,โ Mosquera was quoted as saying by Kyodo news agency.
โEvery time we play and we win, it is a homage to their team. I think the entire world soccer community has been affected by this tragedy and everyone will remember them forever.
โWe are all happy to be here because itโs a dream to be participating in this tournament,โ Mosquera added.
โWe want to do whatever we can to get to the final.
โWeโve always watched the games and we think itโs an amazing tournament. It gets a lot of attention because the worldโs best teams are here and we have a great opportunity here. We have plenty of motivation to win.โ
