Chapecoense return to Serie A nine years after airplane tragedy

Fans swarmed the pitch after Chapecoense earned promotion to Brazil's top-flight Serie A on Monday, marking their return to the elite competition nine years after an airplane crash killed most of the team's players and staff.

Chapecoense, relegated most recently in 2021, regained the top-flight status after a 1-0 win over Atletico Goianiense in Serie B.

The small-town team was in the headlines in November 2016 when its plane crashed en route to Colombia for the Copa Sudamericana final, claiming the lives of 71 of the 77 passengers, including most players and staff.

The club recovered quickly following the crash, maintaining top-flight status in 2017 and 2018. However, performance faltered in subsequent seasons, leading to relegations in 2019 and 2021.

🚨 𝗔 𝗕𝗘𝗔𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗨𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗬! Nine years after the crash that claimed the lives of 71 members of the club, Chapecoense have been promoted back to the Brazilian Serie A. 👏🇧🇷

In 2016, LaMia Flight 2933 departed Bolivia on its way to Colombia, carrying the Chapecoense team… pic.twitter.com/EoWwCv454w — Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) November 25, 2025

Chapecoense previously achieved promotion to Serie A in 2013, sustaining six consecutive years in the top flight and regaining their spot in 2020 after winning the Serie B title.

The latest promotion marks the eighth Serie A season in the club's history.

Um torcedor com a camisa 9 da Chape! 🇳🇬

🏆 Copa Sul-Americana
🏆 Campeonato Brasileiro Série B
🏆🏆🏆 Campeonatos Catarinenses

𝐃𝐨𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐬 𝐚̀ 𝐒𝐞́𝐫𝐢𝐞 𝐀 𝐝𝐨 𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐨! ✅

O 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫𝐨 da… pic.twitter.com/8yxZhs0WIG — Chapecoense (@ChapecoenseReal) November 24, 2025