Christian Atsu, a former Chelsea and Newcastle United forward, was discovered dead after going missing for several days following the earthquakes in Turkey.
The Ghanaian footballer, who played for Hatayspor before his tragic death, was a star of the Chelsea youth system before moving to Turkey.
The 31-year-old was living in an apartment in Hatay City, which was severely damaged during the earthquake.
His club, Hatayspor, initially reported that he was rescued “with injuries,” but that position was changed a day later.
Murat Uzunmehmet, his representative in Turkey, confirmed his death.
“Christian Atsu was discovered and unfortunately died,” he said in a brief statement on social media.
Christian Atsu, a Ghanaian footballer, has been found dead after going missing in the Turkey earthquake.
Atsu was staying in a building with other Hatayspor players and officials. Taner Savut, the club’s sporting director, is also absent.
On Feb. 5, Atsu scored late in injury time to give Hatayspor a 1-0 win over Istanblul-based Kasimpaşa S.K. in the Turkish league, earning him praise from his new club.
Some survivors are still being rescued following the quakes and aftershocks that killed over 40,000 people in southern Turkey and northern Syria.
Atsu, who previously played for Chelsea and Newcastle in England, joined Hatayspor late last year. The club’s headquarters are in Antakya, near the epicenter of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck in the early hours of Feb. 6, one of two major earthquakes that devastated southern Turkey and northern Syria.
