Nineteen of Chapecoense’s players were among the 71 who died in the crash just outside Medellin, Colombia as the team travelled to the first of two matches against Atletico Nacional to determine the champion of the Copa Sudamericana.
Barcelona soon after invited Chape to play in next summer’s Joan Gamper Trophy match at Camp Nou in homage to those killed in the accident, and Filho told Spain’s Cadena SER the Catalans have so far been the only club to offer any economic relief.
“Barcelona was the first team that showed solidarity with us, and for now, it’s the only team that’s helped us financially sending us €250,000,” he said in the interview.
Teams in Brazil’s Serie A have loaned players to Chapecoense as the small club in the south of Brazil were left significantly short-handed before the start of the 2017 Brazilian season.
The football federations of Brazil and Colombia played a friendly in Rio de Janeiro at the end of January to help victims of the crash.
Filho said the club will finalise plans for the friendly with Barcelona shortly.
“In May we will have the definitive date, which will be between the 18th and 26th of May,” he said.o
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