Christian Atsu, a Ghanaian international football player, was discovered dead in Turkey following a severe earthquake.
His body was discovered beneath the debris in the southern Turkish province of Hatay, according to his manager in Turkey, Murat Uzunmehmet, who spoke to DHA news agency on Saturday.
Here are five facts to know about the late footballer:
1. Ghanaian-born Christian Atsu was born in
January 1992.
2. Newcastle eventually acquired Atsu, who started his football career in Porto.
3. At the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, he was named player and goal of the Tournament
4. Atsu married Marie-Claire Rupio in 2012 and had three children.
5. He was a midfielder for the Ghanaian national football team and Hatayspor at the time of his passing.
Ghana stated that it was coordinating with the Turkish authorities to arrange for the return of Atsu's body for burial in his native country.
Midfielder Atsu played for Chelsea for four seasons before moving permanently to Newcastle in 2017. He committed to Turkish Super Lig club Hatayspor last September.
In a statement, Chelsea said, "Christian Atsu is verified as one of the numerous fatalities of the terrible earthquake in Turkey and Syria. This news is received by Chelsea Football Club with immense sympathy."
Newcastle also paid tribute to "a special person" who was "a talented player."
He will always be remembered with affection by our players, staff, and supporters, the club continued.
Before making a permanent move to assist us in regaining our Premier League status, he initially joined on loan and played a significant part in the Magpies team that won the Championship in 2017.
Atsu's body was discovered by search and rescue workers at the Ronesans Residence, a high-rise luxury apartment building that collapsed in Antakya city in Hatay, where he was residing.
According to state news agency Anadolu, Turkish authorities detained the building's contractor last week at the airport in Istanbul as he seemed to be traveling to Montenegro.
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