Teammate Of Soccer Players Who Died In Plane Crash Says It 'Wasn't An Accident'

A teammate of the Brazilian soccer team whose plane fatally crashed on Monday has lashed out at the pilot of the aircraft.

In an interview with MailOnline, Chapecoense midfielder Moises Santos was quoted as saying bluntly,

My friends were assassinated – that wasn't an accident.

While MailOnline's report noted that Santos was "clearly still in a state of shock," his words still stand in astonishing contrast to the general sentiment with which the tragedy has been received.

For the most part, the soccer world has been mourning the accident as just that: a terrible accident that many would lament.

At worst, others have expressed regret that the crash could have easily been avoided, particularly because the cause seems to be nothing more than a mere lack of fuel. The pilot apparently chose not to stop to refuel in Bogota.

But in his interview with MailOnline, Santos places the blame squarely on pilot Miguel Quiroga.

You can't hope for much from human beings. That guy who was taking the Chapecoense players, he destroyed many families, he destroyed the whole city of Chapeco. Many people in Chapeco were dependent on the players, the families of the players, and now, what are they going to do? This is the question that everybody is asking, what is going to happen to the families?

The Chapecoense crash killed 71 of 77 passengers. The group included journalists, team staff, players and flight crew, who were all traveling to Medellin.

The accident brought a tragic end to what was – by all accounts – a magical journey for the modest club. They had reached the final of the continent-wide competition Copa Sudamericana, which was set to be played on Wednesday.

Santos alluded to that magic as he continued,

The football club will rise again. But years and years will pass and there will never be a team like this Chapecoense one which conquested the world. He destroyed all that.

Chapecoense was set to play the final match of the domestic season on December 11, but it has been canceled in light of the tragedy.

Citations: MailOnline