1. Overview
Everton Kempes dos Santos Gonçalves, commonly known as Kempes, was a Brazilian footballer who played as a forward. His career spanned numerous clubs in Brazil and Japan, where he achieved notable success, including becoming the J2 League top scorer in 2013. Kempes's life was tragically cut short at the age of 34 when he was among the 71 victims of the LaMia Airlines Flight 2933 crash on November 28, 2016. At the time of his death, he was a key player for Chapecoense, traveling with the team to play in the 2016 Copa Sudamericana finals, an event that deeply impacted the global football community.
2. Life
Kempes's early life and initial steps into professional football laid the foundation for his extensive career.
2.1. Birth and Early Career
Born on August 3, 1982, in Carpina, Pernambuco, Brazil, Kempes moved to Rio de Janeiro at a young age. He began his football journey at 17, joining Canto do Rio after a successful trial. He was promoted to the first team in 2001. Following his time at Canto do Rio, he played for Nacional de Muriaé before making his mark in top-tier Brazilian football.
3. Professional Career
Kempes's professional career saw him play for a variety of clubs across Brazil and Japan, contributing significantly to each team's performance.
3.1. Brazilian Clubs
Kempes's professional career in Brazil began in 2004 when he joined Paraná, a Série A club. After limited appearances there, he moved to Espírito Santo and played for Estrela do Norte and Vitória. With Vitória, he won the 2006 Campeonato Capixaba. He then had spells at Sertãozinho and 15 de Novembro de Campo Bom, where he was the club's top goalscorer in the 2007 Campeonato Gaúcho. On July 11, 2007, he signed with Ceará.
In 2008, Kempes joined Caxias, again becoming the club's top goalscorer in the Campeonato Gaúcho. He was then loaned to Ipatinga, where he scored his first Série A goal on August 10 in a 2-1 home victory against Fluminense. On January 11, 2009, he was presented at Criciúma, where he scored 9 goals in 16 state league appearances and 5 goals in 4 cup appearances, totaling 14 goals in 22 matches.
On June 4, 2009, Kempes transferred to Portuguesa, who acquired 70% of his federative rights. During his tenure at Portuguesa, he was loaned out to several clubs. In 2010, he had loan spells at Novo Hamburgo and Ceará. In 2011, he was loaned to América Mineiro, where he made a significant impact, scoring 13 goals in 32 Série A appearances. He returned to Brazil on March 2, 2015, signing for Joinville.
3.2. Japanese Clubs
Kempes's career also took him to Japan. In 2012, he was loaned to Cerezo Osaka, where he played 27 matches and scored 7 goals in the J1 League, along with 1 goal in 5 J.League Cup appearances. On February 1, 2013, he made a permanent move to JEF United Chiba. During his time at JEF United Chiba, he became the J2 League top goalscorer in 2013 with 22 goals in 38 appearances. He also made an appearance in the J2 League play-offs that year. In 2014, he continued to perform well, scoring 13 goals in 33 J2 League appearances and 1 goal in 2 Emperor's Cup matches, plus another J2 League play-off appearance. Overall, he played 75 official matches for JEF United Chiba, scoring 38 goals. On July 15, 2014, he made a ceremonial first pitch for the Chiba Lotte Marines baseball team. His departure from JEF United Chiba was announced in January 2015 due to the expiration of his contract.
3.3. Chapecoense
On December 16, 2015, Kempes joined Chapecoense, a state rival of his previous club, Joinville. He quickly became an integral part of the team. In 2016, he contributed to Chapecoense's success, including winning the Campeonato Catarinense. He played 26 Série A matches, scoring 9 goals, and also made 4 appearances in the Copa Sudamericana. His final match for Chapecoense was on November 27, 2016. The team was on its way to Medellín, Colombia, to play the first leg of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana finals against Atlético Nacional, marking a historic moment for the club.
4. Club Statistics
Detailed statistical records of Everton Kempes's appearances and goals across different clubs and competitions are presented below.
| Club | Season | League | State League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Paraná | 2004 | Série A | 2 | 0 | - | - | 0 | 0 | - | 2 | 0 | |||
| Estrela do Norte | 2005 | Série C | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 12 | 5 | 15 | 5 | |
| Vitória-ES | 2006 | Série C | 6 | 1 | 11 | 4 | - | - | - | 17 | 5 | |||
| 15 de Novembro | 2007 | Gaúcho | - | 15 | 8 | - | - | - | 15 | 8 | ||||
| Ceará | 2007 | Série B | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Caxias | 2008 | Série C | 0 | 0 | 13 | 5 | - | - | - | 13 | 5 | |||
| Ipatinga | 2008 | Série A | 14 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 14 | 1 | ||||
| Criciúma | 2009 | Série C | 2 | 0 | 16 | 9 | 4 | 5 | - | - | 22 | 14 | ||
| Portuguesa | 2009 | Série B | 20 | 3 | - | - | - | - | 20 | 3 | ||||
| 2010 | 13 | 5 | - | - | - | - | 13 | 5 | ||||||
| 2011 | Série B | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 14 | 3 | |||
| 2012 | Série A | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Novo Hamburgo (loan) | 2010 | Gaúcho | - | 9 | 1 | - | - | - | 9 | 1 | ||||
| Ceará (loan) | 2010 | Série A | 9 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 9 | 0 | ||||
| América Mineiro (loan) | 2011 | Série A | 32 | 13 | - | - | - | - | 32 | 13 | ||||
| Cerezo Osaka (loan) | 2012 | J1 League | 27 | 7 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 5 | 1 | 32 | 8 | ||
| JEF United Chiba | 2013 | J2 League | 38 | 22 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 39 | 22 | ||
| 2014 | 33 | 13 | - | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 0 | 36 | 14 | ||||
| Joinville | 2015 | Série A | 30 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 42 | 9 | |
| Chapecoense | 2016 | Série A | 26 | 9 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 0 | - | 53 | 16 | |
| Career total | 255 | 83 | 105 | 38 | 17 | 9 | 5 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 398 | 136 | ||
5. Honours
Kempes achieved both team and individual accolades throughout his football career.
5.1. Club Honours
- Estrela do Norte
- Copa Espírito Santo: 2005
- Vitória-ES
- Campeonato Capixaba: 2006
- Portuguesa
- Campeonato Brasileiro Série B: 2011
- Chapecoense
- Campeonato Catarinense: 2016
- Copa Sudamericana: 2016 (posthumously awarded)
5.2. Individual Honours
- JEF United Chiba
- J2 League Top Goalscorer: 2013 (22 goals)
- J.League Monthly MVP: October 2013
6. Death
Everton Kempes was one of the 71 fatal victims of the LaMia Airlines Flight 2933 crash, which occurred on November 28, 2016. The aircraft was carrying the Chapecoense team to Medellín, Colombia, where they were scheduled to play the first leg of the 2016 Copa Sudamericana finals against Atlético Nacional. The tragic accident resulted in the loss of most of the team, including Kempes, at the age of 34. In the aftermath of the tragedy, CONMEBOL posthumously awarded Chapecoense the 2016 Copa Sudamericana title.
The news of Kempes's death deeply affected former teammates and the wider football community. Yoichiro Kakitani and Kenyu Sugimoto, who played with him at Cerezo Osaka, expressed their shock and grief. Yamato Machida, a former JEF United Chiba teammate, recalled a watch Kempes had given him after his first assist, stating he would use it again in his memory. Hayato Sato, another former JEF United Chiba teammate who had a close relationship with Kempes and his family, expressed concern for Kempes's eldest son, who loved his father dearly. Sato had also sent a message hoping for Kempes's safety on Twitter immediately after the accident, awaiting a reply that never came. The clubs Kempes had played for, including Cerezo Osaka and JEF United Chiba, issued messages of condolence on their official websites, and flags were flown at half-mast in tribute.