Chelsea and Newcastle United paid tribute to the late Christian Atsu, commemorating his memory in a joint statement on social media. Today, February 6, marks the one-year anniversary of Atsu’s tragic passing in Turkey due to an earthquake, where he was feared to be among those trapped under the rubble of Hatayspor’s headquarters in Antakya. Despite efforts to find him alive, he was sadly discovered deceased.
Originally planning to leave Turkey shortly before the earthquake, Atsu chose to stay with the club after scoring a crucial goal in a match on February 5. His body was later brought back to Ghana from Turkey on February 20, and a week-long memorial event in his honor occurred on March 4, 2023, in Accra. He was given a state-assisted funeral on March 17, 2023, in Accra and laid to rest in his hometown of Dogobome in Ada Foah.
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Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo expressed that Atsu’s passing was a significant loss for football, recognizing him as one of the sport’s finest ambassadors. Atsu, who represented Ghana 69 times and scored 9 goals, had notable career spells with clubs like Porto, Vitesse, Bournemouth, Málaga, Al-Raed, and Hatayspor.
Despite Ghana’s defeat to Ivory Coast in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final, Atsu was honored posthumously as the tournament’s Best Player.
