Tributes were paid to former Ghanaian international footballer Christian Atsu, who was found dead under the rubble of his home on Saturday, almost two weeks after the devastating Turkey earthquake.
Atsu (31) was trapped in a 7.8-magnitude tremor that shook Turkey and Syria on 6th February, killing more than 43,000.
Although there were initial reports that he was rescued a day after the quake, it turned out to be fake.
His agent, Nana Sechere, travelled to Turkey with Atsu's family members in an attempt to find him, holding onto hopes that he might be alive amid the wreckage.
His manager in Turkey, Murat Uzunmehmet said that his body was found under the rubble of luxury flats that crumbled in the Turkish southern province of Hatay.
"We have reached his lifeless body. His belongings are still being removed. His phone was also found," Uzunmehmet told the DHA news agency.
On Saturday, Sechere confirmed that Atsu's body was found. He posted a message on Twitter: "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."
He further requested everyone to respect the family's privacy during this very difficult time.
Ghana's ministry of foreign affairs also commented on his death, saying it had "received the unfortunate news."
Atsu's body was flown back to Ghana on Saturday for burial.
There was a minute’s applause for the footballer on Saturday at St James’ Park before Newcastle United’s game against Liverpool, which his wife and children attended. Atsu spent five years at Newcastle from 2016 to 2021.
There were also periods of applause at other Premier League games on Saturday in his memory.
Hailing from Ghana’s Ada Foah, Christian Atsu had made a transformative journey, beginning his career with Porto, spending a season on loan at Rio Ave, and getting signed by Chelsea for USD 3.5 million in 2013.
He then signed a four-year deal in May 2017, to join Newcastle permanently for USD 6.2 million from Chelsea.
"I don’t regret going to Chelsea – it was a privilege to be their player; and, eventually, it led me to Newcastle," he once said in an interview with The Guardian.
A full international with 65 caps from 2012 to 2019, the 31-year-old represented Ghana at the 2014 FIFA World Cup and four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments. Atsu helped the team finish as runners-up at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, in which he also won Player of the Tournament and Goal of the Tournament.
One thing that remained constant among all the other life-altering events was his faith. Atsu was a devout Christian who shared Bible verses on social media.
Apart from football, he was also an ambassador for Arms Around the Child since 2016. It is a charity organisation based in Ghana, South Africa and India that supports disadvantaged children. Atsu also used to pay a lot of bail money to free Ghanaians who had been jailed for stealing food.
According to The News, Ellie Milner, the director of Arms Around The Child expressed her grief at his death and her gratitude for the work he did for the charity and the children, in a heartfelt letter.
She mentions in her letter how Atsu believed in giving children a brighter future and the opportunity to succeed. He never forgot his own roots and didn’t want to see any more children abused, imprisoned, affected by HIV, trafficked or sold. Hence, he was determined to use his prominence as a footballer to prevent this.
She then mentioned that in 2018, Atsu and Arms Around The Child had launched a campaign to build a new school in Senya Beraku to benefit orphaned children and the local community.
He loved the kids and would throw his shoes off to play barefoot football with them, something he loved to do whenever he visited.
Another reason why Atsu was so passionate about building a school was his firm belief in education for all. He believed it to be the solution for all problems and thus wanted to give these kids a brighter future.
The director of Senya Beraku, Seth Asiedu had written a message on behalf of all the children for Atsu and his family. "We called him our father, our friend, brother, uncle, sponsor and hero. You have left a great footprint through your generous act that no one can erase."
Ellie Milner's letter ends with a promise wherein Arms Around The Child will strive to honour his legacy by continuing to build and finish the school and support the children in Ghana towards brighter futures and opportunities in life.
Former Newcastle manager Rafael Benitez said he had been in contact with Atsu last month.
"He was a good professional. I don’t talk about if he’s a good player or not, he was a nice lad and a good player, but especially a really nice person," Benitez told Sky Sports.
Newcastle paid tribute to their former player on Twitter. "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."
Marie-Claire Rupio and his three kids were in the stands at St James' Park on Saturday to join the tribute to the Ghanian before Newcastle's Premier League match against Liverpool.
Atsu's face was displayed on the video scoreboard with fans chanting "you'll never walk alone." His wife, Rupio was seen wiping away her tears during a moving minute's applause from the 52,000-capacity crowd as one fan held up a Newcastle shirt bearing the footballer's name.
Atsu met his soulmate Marie-Claire Rupio for the first time in Portugal in 2012 when he was 20 years old. They soon tied the knot.
He is survived by her and their children.