Goalkeeper who survived plane crash announces retirement in tears

Nivaldo decided to retire from football just 24 hours after the plane crash that killed almost the entire Chapecoense team.

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"I was supposed to be on that flight, but I was told to stay home. The team decided to fly straight from Sao Paulo (Brazil) to Medellin (Colombia), without returning to Chapeco (the city where the team is based)," Nivaldo explained his decision to retire.

With tears in his eyes, Nivaldo announced his retirement.

Nivaldo is one of the rare players who escaped death by a strange coincidence. Unlike Martinuccio who was injured, Marcelo Boeck who was busy celebrating his birthday and Matheus Saroli who forgot his passport, Nivaldo was sent home... just because he did not want to play away. The 42-year-old goalkeeper was about to make his 300th appearance for Chapecoense, and wanted to celebrate his unforgettable achievement with a home match. Last weekend, Nivaldo also turned down the chance to play his 300th match when the team visited Sao Paulo to host Palmeiras.

As expected, Nivaldo could make history in the match against Atletico Mineiro this weekend. But all became meaningless when 19 other players ofChapecoense died in the recent plane crash.

Chapecoense had three players on the tragic flight but luckily survived. Among them, the 24-year-old goalkeeperJakson Follmann is likely to retire early due to serious injuries.

Brazil and Colombia are investigating the cause of the crash. One of the causes mentioned by the media may be that the plane ran out of fuel.

According to VNE