Christian Atsu’s Remains Returned to Ghana

The body of former English Premier League (EPL) star, Christian Atsu, was returned to his homeland of Ghana on Sunday, 19 February.

While the 31-year-old winger had initially been reported as found alive in Türkiye on Tuesday, 7 February – a day after a deadly 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the region – those reports were later revealed to be unfounded.

Atsu – who was previously signed with Newcastle and Chelsea – was found on Saturday, 18 February, in the remains of his home in southern Türkiye. At the time of his death, the Ghanaian international had been signed with the Hatayspor club as well as his country’s national team.

The official death toll of the earthquake currently sits between 44 000 and 46 000, with the number expected to rise.

Newcastle paid an emotional tribute to their former star on the same day his body was officially found. The club called for a minute’s worth of applause from the stands before they took on Liverpool at St. James’ Park Stadium in Newcastle, England.

Atsu’s widow, Marie-Claire Rupio, and his three children were said to have been spotted joining in the applause at the Newcastle stadium.

Other EPL clubs have reportedly also held similar moments of remembrance over the weekend.

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