Eidur Gudjohnsen, the 38-year-old former Bolton and Chelsea forward, is the latest player to offer his services to Chapecoense as the Brazilian club try to rebuild following the plane crash in Colombia.
Brazil’s leading sides have promised to loan players to Chapecoense – who lost 19 of their own in the air disaster which killed 71 people – and asked for them to be safeguarded from relegation for the next three seasons.
The former Brazil forward Ronaldinho, 36, and former Argentina international Juan Román Riquelme, 38, have reportedly offered to play for them, too, and they may also enlist the help of another Barcelona old boy.
“Out of respect I would play for @ChapecoenseReal if they have a place for me! If not just to play with @10Ronaldinho again #ForcaChape,” Gudjohnsen, whose last club was FC Pune City, posted on Twitter.
Chapecoense’s acting president, Ivan Tozzo, has stated the club – which came up through the lower divisions after being founded in 1973 – is determined to build again, but that can only be done with the support of the wider football community.
A charter jet carrying the Chapecoense team, along with club officials and journalists, to Medellín for their Copa Sudamericana final against Colombian side Atlético Nacional came down late last week.
Just three of the team – the defender Alan Luciano Ruschel, reserve goalkeeper Jackson Ragnar Follmann and centre-back Helio Hermito Zampier Neto – were among the six survivors of the crash.