During their recent league match against Chapecoense, Brazilian club Coritiba replaced their standard shirt sponsors with the name of English supporter Jonny Butcher. The gesture was intended to highlight awareness for motor neurone disease (MND). The 29-year-old from Norwich received an amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis earlier this year. ALS is a progressive and incurable condition that causes the deterioration of motor neurones, leading to muscle weakness and loss of function.
Butcher developed a connection to the club after meeting his wife, Ana Clara, who is a Coritiba native. Their link was reinforced by an existing partnership between Coritiba and Norwich City, the club Butcher supported since childhood. After his diagnosis, Butcher included attending a game at the team’s home stadium on his bucket list. While his declining health made the trip impossible, the club chose to honor him by featuring his name on their jerseys alongside a message of support and a sunflower emblem representing non-visible disabilities.
Before the match, the team displayed a banner signed by supporters and staff to honor him. Ana Clara expressed that the tribute left the couple deeply moved, noting that it provided significant emotional support during a difficult time. Coritiba plans to donate several of these commemorative shirts to the family and to organizations supporting those affected by MND.
