Christian Atsu was found dead after the earthquake in Turkey (REUTERS/Scott Heppell/File Photo)

A sad news has been confirmed in the last hours and has completely shaken the world of football. The body of Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu has been found dead under the rubble of a residence in the Turkish city of Hatay, one of the most destroyed by the violent earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria on February 6.

The news was confirmed by both his representative, Murat Uzunmehmet, and his team, Hatayspor. “The remains of our footballer Christian Atsu, who lost his life in the collapse, are about to be sent to his home country of Ghana. We won’t forget you, Atsu. Peace be with you, beautiful person. There are no words to describe our sadness. May he rest in peace,” the institution wrote on its Twitter account.

The 31-year-old striker, who had also defended the shirts of Porto, Chelsea and Newcastle, among other clubs, died under the rubble of his house in the “Residence Ronesans”, where his relatives, who had moved to Turkey, were staying. . The rescue work has been going on for days.

Hatayspor manager Fatih Ilek said Atsu had planned to leave the club and bought a plane ticket to France on the same day as the earthquake, but backed out of the plan after he scored a last-minute goal against Hatayspor. the trip. “He had a plane ticket, but he gave up because he played well and scored. It was hit by an earthquake on its finest day,” Ilek said.

The Ghanaian athlete had been missing since the first day of the 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes which claimed at least 45,000 lives in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria. Taner Savut, the sporting director of Hatayspor, was also found under the rubble of the Ronesans residence, where Atsu lived, but nothing is known about him yet.

Experts estimate that there are still tens of thousands of bodies under the collapsed buildings.

Some of his former clubs also echoed the news. “We deeply regret the death of Christian Atsu, player of MálagaCF during the 15/16 season. A very strong hug for family, friends and colleagues in your club, the Hatayspor. Rest in peace, Christian,” wrote the official account of Malaga from Spain. “Everyone at Chelsea Football Club is devastated to learn of the tragic passing of our former player, Christian Atsu. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.added Chelsea.

It should be noted that the Turkish Football Federation approved the withdrawal from the leagues of nine teams, including Hatayspor (Super League), which lost players or suffered serious damage during the earthquakes.

*With information from EFE

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