Football: Former Newcastle and Chelsea winger Christian Atsu found after Turkey earthquake
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Christian Atsu as a Newcastle player in January 2020.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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ACCRA – Ghanaian winger Christian Atsu, best known for his time playing at English Premier League clubs, has been found alive after being buried under rubble in the earthquake that hit Turkey, the vice-president of his current club Hatayspor told media on Tuesday.
But Turkish football mourned the loss of Yeni Malatyaspor goalkeeper Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan. The 28-year-old played six times for Turkish second division club Yeni Malatyaspor after joining in 2021, reported the BBC.
“Our goalkeeper, Ahmet Eyup Turkaslan, lost his life after being under the collapse of the earthquake. Rest in peace,” the club said on Twitter. “We will not forget you, beautiful person.”
Atsu was reported missing in Turkey’s Hatay province following the 7.8-magnitude quake that brought down thousands of buildings, killing some 5,000 people, in several Turkish and Syrian cities on Monday.
“Christian Atsu was pulled out injured. Our sporting director, Taner Savut, is unfortunately still under the rubble,” Mustafa Ozat told Radyo Gol.
“Hatay was deeply affected. We are coming towards the end of the most dangerous hours.”
Atsu has since been transferred to a hospital.
The 31-year-old scored a 97th-minute winner for Turkish top-flight side Hatayspor on Sunday as they beat Kasimpasa 1-0, but just hours later was caught in the earthquake.
Atsu played in the English Premier League for Newcastle United and Everton, on loan from Chelsea, and joined Hatayspor in September.
He was last selected to play for Ghana in 2019, but has not officially retired from international football.
Ozat told beIN Sports on Monday that several players and officials had been rescued from the rubble and the club was working to help others.
Newcastle, whom Atsu helped to promotion from the Championship in the 2016-17 season, had tweeted that they were “praying for some positive news”. Chelsea also tweeted their prayers.
Dozens of nations have pledged aid following the earthquake, which hit as people were still sleeping and amid freezing weather that has hampered emergency efforts.
Multi-storey apartment buildings full of residents were among the 5,606 structures reduced to rubble in Turkey, while Syria announced dozens of collapses, as well as damage to archaeological sites in Aleppo.
Speaking at a press conference, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the earthquake was the “largest disaster” since another major one back in 1939.
“Everyone is putting their heart and soul into efforts, although the winter season, cold weather and the earthquake happening during the night make things more difficult,” he said.
“We do not know how high the casualty numbers will go as efforts to lift the debris continue in several buildings in the earthquake zone. Today is a day for 85 million to be together as one heart.” REUTERS, AFP
