Neto, Chapecoense plane crash survivor announces retirement 3 years after accident
Daniel Lopez Neto Chapecoense defender has retired from active football three years after his ill-fated crash which claimed 71 lives.
The 34-year-old who spent about two weeks in the hospital after the tragedy was one of the six survivors from the LaMia Airlines Flight 2933 in Colombia on 28 November 2016.
According to the Mirror, the football star was diagnosed with life-threatening injuries during the crash three years ago.
It would be recalled that the Chapecoense were travelling to Colombian to face Atletico Nacional in the Copa Sudamericana final before meeting their untimely deaths.
About five months after the crash, Neto was named in the matchday squad for the first time in his side's Copa Libertadores tie in March 2017.
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However, the Brazilain has decided to call time on his playing career due to pains from the crash three years back.
"My body couldn't take it anymore," Neto told Globo Esporte. "I talked to the doctors and soon there will be an official statement from the club.
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"Apparently there was no pain in my daily life, but in high-level training, the body could not stand the knee and back pain, which saddened me most in the end and took me off the field.
"It was already in line with the doctors and the club. I wanted to say goodbye, a game, but I chose not to. I was invited to join the last minute against CSA, but I did not.
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He added: "Of course I have a fondness for the fans and it would be a gift to the fans, but life is a gift. I had a great intention of being on the field for a minute or 10, whatever."
Chapecoense were however handed the Copa Sudamericana title by the CONMEBOL on request from Atletico Nacional on December 5, 2016.
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In return, the south American football body presented the Colombian team with a fair play award for their gesture.
Legit.ng earlier reported that ex-Super Eagles goalkeeper Carl Ikeme was forced to retire from active football early in his career after being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease in 2017.
The 33-year-old was on a pre-season tour with Wolverhampton Wanderers when it was discovered he had blood cancer.
After the discovery, the former Nigeria international called his mother Jackie to share the unpleasant with her.
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Source: Legit.ng
