Only a handful of the 81 people aboard survived the crash, which occurred as the plane attempted to land in the Colombian city of Medellin.

Chapecoense players Alan Luciano Ruschel, Marcos Danilo Padilha and Jacson Ragnar Follmann were reportedly among the survivors, but most passengers died.

One of those to perish was 51-year-old Caio Junior, who has managed both Al Jazira and more recently Al Shabab in the Arabian Gulf League, as well Al Gharafa in Qatar.

Caio Junior had moved back to his native Brazil with Chapecoense earlier this year after leaving Shabab at the end of the 2015-16 season following a fifth-placed AGL finish.

The Brazilian won the GCC Club Cup with Shabab, the President’s Cup with Al Jazira in 2012 and earlier guided Al Gharafa to the 2009-10 Qatar Stars League title.

During his playing career, Caio Junior plied his trade as a striker in Brazil and Portugal, playing under legendary Brazilian boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, who remained a friend after they worked together.