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Football

03rd Dec 2016

WATCH: Minute’s silence for Chapecoense delayed by music at West Ham vs Arsenal

Painfully awkward to watch

SportsJOE

The tragic news from Colombia earlier this week has rocked the football community.

71 people lost their lives as a chartered plane carrying Brazilian football side Chapecoense crashed as it approached Medellin. The team were travelling to the city to contest the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional.

Since news of the tragedy, those in attendance at football matches played around the world have fallen silent for a minute as a mark of respect for those that died in the tragedy.

This was also the plan prior to West Ham’s meeting with Arsenal on Saturday afternoon, but as players from both sides gathered in the centre circle, speakers in the London Stadium continued to play music, delaying the start of the minute’s silence.

Painfully awkward to watch, especially given the close connections players such as Arsenal’s Gabriel have to the tragedy.

Following their League Cup defeat to Southampton on Wednesday, the defender broke down in tears as he sent his condolences to those affected by the plane crash.