Former Chelsea player Christian Atsu found dead under rubble in Turkey earthquake

Modified Feb 18, 2023 08:39 GMT

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Former Chelsea and Ghana winger Christian Atsu has been found dead under the rubble in Turkey. The Hatayspor star was missing since the earthquake struck Turkey and Syria last week.

The 31-year-old's body was recovered on Saturday morning after days of searching. The footballer's agent has confirmed that the former Newcastle United star is no more and sent a message to his family & well-wishers.

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He tweeted:

"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."

Former Chelsea winger joined Hatayspor last summer

Christian Atsu joined Hatayspor in September on a one-year deal. His injury limited his time at Al-Raed, the Saudi Arabian club he joined following his release from Newcastle United in 2021.

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The former Chelsea winger had played just three matches for the Turkish side this season and scored the winner in his final match. Atsu came on as a late substitute in the match against Kasimpasa and scored the lone goal of the match deep into injury time from a free kick.

During his time with the Ghana national side, Atsu played 65 matches before retiring from international football in 2020.

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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava