The Turkish club Hatayspor reported early on February 18 that Christian Atsu had passed away in the February 6 earthquake that had rocked Turkey and Syria.
The Ghanaian, who had previously played for teams like Malaga and Chelsea, had been missing for 11 days after becoming trapped under the wreckage of his house at the Ronesans’ home.
Atsu’s representative, Murat Uzunmehmet, said: “Atsu’s lifeless body was found under the rubble. At this moment, his belongings are still being removed,” to DHA Turkey news agency.
The Turkish team said Atsu’s body will be repatriated to Ghana: “The funeral of our footballer Christian Atsu, who lost his life under the rubble, is on its way to be sent to his hometown in Ghana. We will not forget you, Atsu. Peace be with you, beautiful person. There are no words to describe our sadness. Rest in peace Atsu.”
Atsu was reportedly found alive and transferred to a hospital the day after the earthquake, but a few days later the club confirmed that both Atsu and sporting director Taner Savut—who is still unknown—were still missing. Savut hasn’t been located yet.
The footballer had planned to leave Turkey the day of the earthquake to travel to France, but after scoring the game-winning goal for his team against Kasimpasa, he opted to postpone the trip, according to Hatayspor manager Faith Ilek.
“He had a plane ticket, but he gave up leaving because he played well and scored. The earthquake caught him on his happiest day,” Ilek said.
