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Atsu, who played for Hatayspor in Turkey, has been missing since February 6. Immediately after the earthquake, there were reports that he had been rescued alive from the rubble, but these were not confirmed. Only two weeks later, his body was discovered while clearing the rubble of the collapsed apartment building. The former Chelsea or Newcastle player died at the age of 31.
“He was more than just a football player. We will always have him in our hearts because he helped so many people,” one of the family’s friends told Reuters, noting that Atsu donated generously to charity projects in his homeland.
Atsu was supposed to fly out of Turkey a few hours before the earthquake, but after scoring the winning goal against Kasimpasa in a Turkish league match, he changed his mind and stayed, according to the coach. The natural disaster claimed more than 54,000 lives in Turkey and Syria.
