Brazilian top-flight club wear name of English fan with MND on shirts

What the report says

Brazilian club Coritiba used their shirts to highlight motor neurone disease during a league match against Chapecoense, replacing the usual front-of-shirt sponsor with the name of Jonny Butcher, a 29-year-old Norwich fan living with ALS, a form of MND. BBC Sport reported that the gesture was intended to raise awareness of the condition and recognise Butcher’s story.

According to the report, Butcher was diagnosed in February. He has links to Coritiba through his wife, Ana Clara, who is from the Brazilian city of Curitiba, and through his long-standing support for Norwich City, which formed a partnership with Coritiba in 2022. The article says his health has now limited his ability to pursue a bucket-list wish to attend a Coritiba match in person.

Coritiba’s tribute also included a message on the shirts saying, “Your strength inspires us. We stand as one,” along with a sunflower symbol associated with non-visible disabilities. Before kickoff, players posed with a banner carrying Butcher’s name and signatures from fans, players and staff.

BBC Sport said Coritiba will send some of the shirts to Butcher’s family and to an organisation that supports people with rare diseases, including MND. The gesture highlights how football clubs sometimes use matchday tributes to draw attention to illness and disability beyond the pitch.