The footballer Christian Atsu’s remains will be returned to Ghana, specifically to his hometown, his club Hatayspor FK has said.
The 31-year-old winger was discovered dead after going missing since February 6, 2023, when he became caught under the debris following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck sections of Syria and south-central Turkey.
“The funeral of our football player Christian Atsu, who lost his life under the wreckage (debris), is on its way to be sent to his birthplace, Ghana,” Hatayspor tweeted in a tweet confirming his passing.
“We will not forget you, Atsu. Peace be upon you, beautiful person. There are no words to describe our sadness. REST in PEACE ATSU,” the club added.
In the early hours of Saturday, February 18, condolences for the passing of the former Chelsea and Newcastle footballer have been pouring in.
On January 10, 1992, Christian Atsu was born in Ghana’s Greater Accra Region’s Ada Foah.
In a previous conversation with Goal.com Christian Atsu admitted that growing up, money was difficult to come by. He once claimed that his family’s devastating loss of his father made things even more tough for them.
In 2013, Atsu became well-known after Chelsea made contact with him after identifying him as a long-term prospect.
Christian Atsu was acquired by Chelsea for £3.5 million from FC Porto. He was then loaned to Vitesse Arnhem, Everton, AFC Bournemouth, and Málaga.
After joining Chelsea, Atsu began to enjoy the money associated with playing football. At Newcastle, he was reportedly earning £32,000 per week, making him one of the wealthiest Ghanaian footballers as of 2016.
Christian Atsu signed up with Hatayspor as a free agent in September 2022 and revealed receiving a signing bonus of almost $500,000.
See Hatayspor FK tweet below:
The funeral of our football player Christian Atsu, who lost his life under the rubble (debris), is on his way to be sent to his hometown, Ghana. We will not forget you, Atsu. Peace be upon you, beautiful person. There are no words to describe our sadness.
REST in PEACE ATSU
— Hatayspor (@Hatayspor_FK) February 18, 2023
