Christian Atsu’s agent confirms footballer has died in Turkey earthquake | Football

The agent of Christian Atsu has confirmed that, after an exhaustive search, the footballer has been found dead 11 days after the earthquake in Turkey.

The 31-year-old, who played for Super Lig side Hatayspor, was in his ninth-floor apartment when two devastating earthquakes struck, killing at least 45,000 people across Turkey and Syria.

Shortly afterwards, there had been reports claiming Atsu had been rescued from the rubble, though it soon emerged that was not the case.

The search for the former Chelsea player had continued, with a pair of his shoes found several days ago, and now his agent, Nana Sechere, has confirmed that his body has been recovered.

A statement from Sechere on Saturday morning read: ‘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.

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‘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.’

Last Tuesday, Sechere had provided a detailed update on the search for Atsu, saying: ‘I am at the quake site in Hatay with Christian’s family. The scenes are unimaginable and our hearts are broken for all the people affected. During my time here we have been able to locate Christian Atsu’s exact room location, and we have found two pairs of his shoes.

‘Yesterday we received confirmation that thermal imagery was showing signs of up to five lives, however, I am told that the only real confirmation of life is through sight, smell and sound, and unfortunately we were not able [to] locate Christian.

‘This is a difficult situation and we are extremely grateful to all the Turkish and foreign rescue teams, local civilians and volunteers for their efforts and response in rescuing survivors. However, we urgently need more resources, including a translator, on the ground.

‘Things are moving incredibly slow and as a result of that many rescues are being delayed, and lives are being lost due to the lack of resources available to the workers. It is unfortunate that the club is not on the ground with us, side by side, in the search for Christian.

‘Their position and influence, accompanied with their local knowledge would be extremely helpful. We implore the president of the club and mayor of Hatay, Lutfu Savas, to provide additional resources to speed up the rescue efforts as a priority.’

More to follow…