Ex-Chelsea Player Christian Atsu Found Dead In Türkiye Earthquake Rubble On 18 Feb
As reparation works continue in the aftermath of the earthquake in Türkiye, rescue workers have uncovered the body of former Chelsea Football Club (CFC) player, Christian Atsu.
Source: actu football on Flickr
The Ghanaian international, who most recently played in Türkiye, was found dead in the rubble of a luxury flat he was staying in.
The footballer was apparently due to fly out of Southern Türkiye just hours before the earthquake but stayed with the team after scoring a game-winning goal just hours before.
He was 31 at the time of death.
Rescue workers find Christian Atsu’s body & phone
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), rescuers found the athlete’s body on Saturday (18 Feb), alongside various items such as his phone.
Search and rescue workers discovered his lifeless body at his residential address at Ronesans Residence.
Source: Google Maps
The block f high-rise luxury flats toppled over in Antakya city in Hatay, following the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that rocked both Türkiye and Syria on 6 Feb.
Following the disaster, Turkish police have arrested the building’s contractor at Istanbul airport last week.
The contractor was reportedly heading to Montenegro.
Footballer planned to visit family but cancelled ticket after scoring winning goal
Christian Atsu’s untimely death paints a contrast to emotions just a day before the earthquake hit.
Despite signing for CFC, Atsu never made a competitive appearance for the Blues as he spent most of his time there on loan, before eventually moving to Newcastle United Football Club (NUFC).
After four years at NUFC, he left the English Premier League (EPL) in 2021 and spent a season at the Saudi club Al-Raed.
On 6 Sep 2022, he moved to Hatayspor in the Turkish Süper Lig where he had been playing football since.
According to Goal.com, Atsu had planned to visit his family in France after the game. However, he cancelled the plan after scoring a 97th-minute winner for his team.
The Telegraph also reported that initial reports suggested that the footballer was still alive. Unfortunately, recent news has proven those rumours to be untrue.
Following the news of his death, EPL clubs that Atsu had played for including Chelsea, Newcastle and Everton have posted tributes to the deceased athlete.
MS News extends our condolences to Atsu’s loved ones during this difficult time.
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Featured image adapted from @ChelseaFC on Twitter and Google Maps.
