A black day for Manchester United. 66 years ago the Munich air disaster occurred

February 6, 1958, stands out as one of the most tragic days in the history of football.

On this black day, a plane carrying the delegation of Manchester United crashed: players, coaches, fans, and journalists. There were a total of 44 people on board, 23 of whom perished.

At that time, Manchester United was returning from Belgrade after a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade. The plane landed in Munich for a refueling stop, but tragically failed to take off again. Due to adverse weather conditions and snowy slush on the runway, the airliner, carrying the "Busby Babes," collided with a residential house near the airport.

Among the survivors was Bobby Charlton, who went on to become a global football star.

The head coach of the Red Devils at the time, Matt Busby, took about two months to recover from the disaster. Later, the Scottish manager returned to coaching and led United to victory in the European Cup in 1968.

Every year, Manchester United observes a minute of silence to honor those who lost their lives in that aviation tragedy.