Alan Ruschel retires from professional football

Brazilian defender Alan Ruschel, 37, has officially retired from professional football, playing his final match for Juventude. Ruschel is widely recognized as one of only six survivors of the 2016 Chapecoense air disaster, where LaMia Flight 2933 crashed on November 28, 2016. He holds the distinction of being the only one of the three players who survived the crash to successfully resume his professional career.

Following the tragedy, Ruschel underwent surgery for a spinal injury but defied medical expectations by returning to the pitch. He played for Chapecoense until 2021 before moving to several clubs, including Goias, Cruzeiro, America Mineiro, and Londrina, ultimately joining Juventude in 2023. His final appearance was marked by an emotional send-off, with hundreds of fans greeting him at the team bus and carrying him on their shoulders to celebrate his career. This concludes a notable journey that began nearly a decade after the accident that claimed the lives of most of his teammates.