2016 Copa Sudamericana
The 2016 Copa Sudamericana (Portuguese: Copa Sul-Americana 2016) was the 15th edition of the Copa Sudamericana, South America's secondary club football tournament organized by CONMEBOL.
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 9 August – 24 November 2016 (Finals, scheduled for 30 November and 7 December, suspended on 29 November; title awarded on 5 December) |
| Teams | 47 (from 10 associations) |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Chapecoense |
| Runners-up | Atlético Nacional |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 90 |
| Goals scored | 181 (2.01 per match) |
| Top scorer(s) | Miguel Borja Cecilio Domínguez (6 goals each) |
The finals were originally to be played between Brazilian team Chapecoense and Colombian team Atlético Nacional. However, on 28 November 2016, LaMia Flight 2933, which was carrying the Chapecoense squad to the first leg, crashed on the way to the José María Córdova International Airport. There were 71 fatalities, including 19 of the 22 Chapecoense players on the plane. CONMEBOL immediately suspended all activities, including the scheduled final matches, in the early morning of 29 November. In light of these events, Atlético Nacional requested that CONMEBOL award the title to Chapecoense. As requested, CONMEBOL awarded Chapecoense the title of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana, their first continental title, on 5 December, while Atlético Nacional received the "CONMEBOL Centenario Fair Play" award for their gesture.
As winners of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana, Chapecoense earned the right to play against the winners of the 2016 Copa Libertadores in the 2017 Recopa Sudamericana, and the winners of the 2016 J.League Cup in the 2017 Suruga Bank Championship. They also automatically qualified for the 2017 Copa Libertadores group stage. Santa Fe were the defending champions, but were eliminated by Cerro Porteño in the Round of 16.