SportsPalmas FC Loses President, Four Players In Plane Crash

Palmas FC Loses President, Four Players In Plane Crash

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BEVERLY HILLS, January 23, (THEWILL) – In an unfortunate grim news for football, the president of Brazilian football club Palmas FC and four squad players died on Sunday when a small plane taking them to a Brazilian Cup fixture crashed on take-off.

The 32-year-old Lucas Keira, president of the fourth-tier club, along with players: left-back Lucas Praxedes, 23, defender Guilherme Noe, 28, goalkeeper Ranule, 27, and midfielder Marcus Molinari, 23, all died. The pilot, named only as Wagner, also did not make it.

An official club statement announcing the fatal accident said:

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“Palmas Futebol e Regatas hereby announces that at around 8:15 am on this Sunday, 24th, there was an air accident involving the president of the club Lucas Meira, when he was taking off to Goiânia, for the match between Vila Nova x Palmas on Monday 25, valid for the Green Cup.

“The plane on which Lucas was with Commander Wagner and athletes Lucas Praxedes, Guilherme Noé, Ranule and Marcus Molinari, took off and crashed at the end of the runway of the Tocantins Association of Aviation.

“We regret to inform you that there are no survivors. In this moment of pain and dismay, the club asks for prayers for the relatives to whom it will provide the necessary support, and emphasises that in due time it will speak again.”

The airplane was heading out to Goiania, around 800 km (500 miles) away for the Monday last-16 Palmas versus Vila Nova FC Copa Verde fixture. The Copa is an annual regional knockout football tournament reserved for 24 teams outside the traditional powerhouses of southern and northeastern Brazil.

Gruesomely, the four players only joined the Serie D side in 2021 and it was announced just last week that Praxedes, Noe and Ranule had tested positive for the dreaded COVID-19 virus. For followers online, the club shared images of their last training session in their Tocantins training facility on Saturday ahead of the Monday night tie.

The Brazil Football Confederation (CBF) immediately confirmed the postponements of the Monday fixture as tributes began pouring in from around Brazil and across the sporting world. Serie B side Chapecoense, the Brazilian club based in the city of Chapeco, also sent their condolences.

Chapecoense is the same club that, in 2016, lost almost their entire squad when a plane taking them to the Copa Sudamericana final in Colombia crashed on a hillside outside Medellin to the utter horror of their fans and football followers all over the world who saw the wreckage.

About the Author

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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

Jude Obafemi, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.

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