Christian Atsu’s death in Turkish earthquake is confirmed
Former Everton, Newcastle and Chelsea player Christian Atsu is now confirmed to have perished in the massive earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria earlier this month.
According to his agent, the 31-year-old was still missing after his team-mates, the club's vice president Mustafa Ozat, and the Ghana FA said that Atsu had been found and taken to hospital "with injuries".
However, these reports that the Ghanaian winger, who was in Turkey playing for Hatayspor in the Super Lig, had been pulled from the wreckage and taken to hospital, were sadly proved to be erroneous.
He was found dead under the rubble of his collapsed apartment in the city of Hatay, his agent confirmed on Saturday, almost 2 weeks after two devastating earthquakes struck on 6 February.
Atsu made 5 appearances for the Toffees in the 2014-15 season under Roberto Martinez during a loan spell from Chelsea and he also played for Malaga before joining the Magpies in 2016 where he made 32 league appearances.
Following a short stint in Saudi Arabia with Al Raed, he moved to Turkey last summer where he played 3 times and scored one goal.
Reader Comments (22)
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2 Posted 18/02/2023 at 08:29:52
3 Posted 18/02/2023 at 08:35:20
4 Posted 18/02/2023 at 08:39:19
5 Posted 18/02/2023 at 08:42:25
In any case, this must be an unimaginable tragedy for millions of people in Turkey & Syria. One can only pray and hope that the world comes together setting aside ideological differences to help the affected people.
6 Posted 18/02/2023 at 08:43:52
God bless and keep them close.
7 Posted 18/02/2023 at 08:53:20
8 Posted 18/02/2023 at 09:01:25
9 Posted 18/02/2023 at 09:13:27
10 Posted 18/02/2023 at 09:27:35
11 Posted 18/02/2023 at 09:40:55
12 Posted 18/02/2023 at 09:48:56
I believe it would be a good idea if EFC could arrange a friendly with Hatayspor as soon as possible to help raise funds for the victims of this awful event.
13 Posted 18/02/2023 at 14:20:41
Iakovos #8, the reports I've read say it was Atsu who cancelled his trip. He decided not to take that flight because, after barely playing a minute for Hatayspor this season, he had come off the bench in the 90th minute of their Feb. 5 game against Kasimpasa and scored the game-winning goal in the 97th minute on a skipping free kick. (You can find it on YouTube.)
His manager says he decided to stay with the club as a result, and spent most of the night celebrating by playing poker with friends. He returned to his building around 4am on Feb. 6, just minutes before the quake.
14 Posted 18/02/2023 at 18:27:51
15 Posted 19/02/2023 at 01:05:09
Awfully, there are reports that he didn't go quickly. Apparently reports of his escape were sparked as rescuers heard his voice early on. Also, he had a flight booked to leave Turkey that night at 11 pm but cancelled it to hang out with his team mates then, 5 hours later, the earthquake hit.
Absolute tragedy for his wife and young kids too. Then as Brent points out just think of all the others of equally tragic losses involving thousands we never knew of. God bless all affected.
16 Posted 19/02/2023 at 02:28:55
RIP, Christian Atsu, words can't describe, what hell your family's going through, along with the rest of Turkey and the World.
17 Posted 19/02/2023 at 15:57:17
Another catastrophe to remind us how precious life is.
18 Posted 19/02/2023 at 19:16:45
19 Posted 28/04/2023 at 12:57:53
20 Posted 28/04/2023 at 12:57:53
21 Posted 28/04/2023 at 12:57:53
22 Posted 28/04/2023 at 12:57:53
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1 Posted 18/02/2023 at 07:44:27