The toll in Turkey after the strong earthquake is high. And the disaster is also stirring up emotions in football. It was feared that Christian Atsu, last night’s match winner for Hatayspor, was under the rubble. In the meantime, the player would have been found and he was taken to the hospital, it sounds in Turkey.
Within hours, joy turned to intense sadness.
Yesterday evening, Christian Atsu experienced the utmost happiness by scoring the winning goal against Kasimpasa (1-0) in the final phase.
A day later, everyone in Turkish football is praying for the fate of the Ghanaian striker.
Atsu is one of the many missing after the earthquake in Turkey, together with sports director Taner Savut.
In the evening, reports trickled through from Turkey that the player had been found and taken to hospital, but there is no official confirmation.
Turkish football legend Volkan Demirel, coach of Hatayspor, already launched an emotional appeal on Instagram (see below) to send more rescue services to the affected areas.
28-year-old Ahmet Eyüp Türkaslan, goalkeeper at second division club Yeni Matalyaspor, is also missing. He would be under the rubble of a collapsed apartment building.
Turkish football matches postponed due to earthquakes
The Turkish Football Federation has postponed this week’s matches in the national leagues due to earthquakes in the south-east of the country. On Monday, three games in the highest division were scheduled, but they are cancelled. A match has also been canceled in the second division.
Among other things, Fenerbahçe, the number 2 of the Turkish Süper Lig, would come into action on Monday. The club of Red Devil Michy Batshuayi would play against Konyaspor. Fenerbahçe announced via Twitter that it would provide assistance in the “national disaster”.
