Incredible 😍

After 4 long months and 28 matches, the doomed party finally arrived back on 29 April, only 3 days before the opening tie of the new season.

The tour has gone down in infamy as either the Excursão da Morte (the Death tour) or the Excursão Suicida (the Suicidal tour).

A final voyage home was cancelled due to a combination of poor weather and the ongoing presence of German U-boats.

What remained of the hapless Santa Cruz squad instead boarded a train home, which inevitably derailed en route to Pernambuco.

After one particular fixture, local police arrested Santa Cruz's Pedrinho, who was accused of "doing evil to a 17-year-old girl." It transpired that the police officer who had ordered his arrest was, in fact, a Director of a rival club seeking to sign the skilful defender.

As nervous club officials took turns to keep watch on the 15 trophies secured during the ill-fated tour, teammates played cards with delighted jailbirds.

Then, when their boat was temporarily detained in Maranhão, O Mais Querido played another 3 friendlies with a side featuring the ship's cook.

However, their plans were quickly foiled by the Confederação Brasileira de Desportos, who threatened a 90-day ban for the club.

When the players were forced to downgrade to third class tickets for their boat journey home, they were seated next to 35 prisoners in steerage.

Goalkeeper King and striker Papeira died of typhoid, having ignored orders not to play barefooted.

By now, the club was in a financial death spiral. To meet mounting travel, medical and funeral costs, officials sought to extend the tour to Peru and Guyana.

Confined to a steamship for two long weeks, several players contracted dysentery. Frustrated by the club's failure to pay wages, star players Cidinho, Omar and França, absconded - signing contracts with local sides.

Farce would soon turn to tragedy.

Having completed their original fixtures in Belém, club officials agreed to play a series of money-spinning exhibition matches in Manaus, deep in the Amazonian Rainforest.

It was a decision that would ultimately prove deadly.

It was an inauspicious start for the side known as the Terror Do Nordeste or 'Terror of the Northeast'.

Amidst the backdrop of WWII, the threat of German U-boat attacks prompted the Brazilian Navy to provide an escort to the side's steamboat, the Pará.

Love Marc Rebillet!