In the early hours of the morning, a 31-year-old Newcastle player was discovered dead.
The ex-Chelsea and Newcastle winger, 31, had been scheduled to fly out of Turkey on the day of the earthquake, which has now killed more than 45,000 people.
Former Newcastle United footballer Christian Atsu’s body was discovered under the rubble of the building where he lived in Turkey, according to his agent.
The Ghanaian, who played for Hatayspor in Antakya, had been misidentified and falsely reported as being hospitalized “with injuries” following the earthquake that killed over 40,000 people in Turkey and 5,800 in Syria last week.
Atsu’s agent, Nana Sechere, tweeted this morning: “It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well wishers that sadly Christian Atsu’s body was recovered this morning. My deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support.
“I ask that whilst we make the necessary arrangements, that everyone would please respect the privacy of the family during this very difficult time.”
Ghana’s foreign ministry confirmed in a statement that it received the “unfortunate news” and that “necessary arrangements with the assistance of the Government of Turkey” were being made to transport the footballer’s body to his home country.
Atsu spent eight years signed to Premier League clubs including Chelsea, Bournemouth, Everton and Newcastle.
He was signed by Chelsea in 2013 before being sent on loan to Dutch club Vitesse.
The winger played for Everton, Bournemouth and Newcastle during loan spells from Stamford Bridge. The 31-year-old ended his Premier League career having made 121 appearances.
Atsu became a fan favourite on Tyneside, making 107 appearances between 2016 and 2021 and scoring eight goals.
He moved to Newcastle from Chelsea on a permanent deal for £6.2m in 2017.
Read more:
Christian Atsu: Former Newcastle United star still missing over a week after Turkey earthquake
Turkey earthquake: Anger grows over building standards in wake of deadly disaster
The club tweeted: “We are profoundly saddened to learn that Christian Atsu has tragically lost his life in Turkey’s devastating earthquakes.
“A talented player and a special person, he will always be fondly remembered by our players, staff and supporters. Rest in peace, Christian.”
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