Ghana Soccer Player Atsu's Well-being, Whereabouts Unknown

People inspect the damage as rescuers search for survivors in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Türkiye, February 8. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
People inspect the damage as rescuers search for survivors in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Türkiye, February 8. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
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Ghana Soccer Player Atsu's Well-being, Whereabouts Unknown

People inspect the damage as rescuers search for survivors in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Türkiye, February 8. REUTERS/Umit Bektas
People inspect the damage as rescuers search for survivors in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Hatay, Türkiye, February 8. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Ghana international soccer player Christian Atsu is missing after the earthquake in Türkiye, his club and agent said Thursday, following earlier reports he was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building and taken to a hospital.

Atsu's well-being and whereabouts were unknown. Aydin Toksoz, the deputy head of Hatayspor soccer club, told Türkiye 's state-run Anadolu Agency news service that club sporting director Taner Savut was also missing after the massive earthquake that struck southern Türkiye and Syria and has now killed more than 19,000 people, with that number expected to rise.

The 31-year-old Atsu, who previously played for English clubs Chelsea and Newcastle, signed for Hatayspor late last year. The club is based in the southern city of Antakya, near the epicenter of the earthquake that struck in the early hours of Monday and devastated the region. Atsu and Savut were believed to have been in buildings that collapsed, the club had said.

Nana Sechere, the agent for Atsu, said in messages to The Associated Press that he traveled to Türkiye to try to find Atsu but the player “is yet to be found.”

Hatayspor and the Ghana soccer association announced on Tuesday that Atsu was rescued from a ruined building on Monday night and taken to a medical facility for treatment.

Toksoz said Hatayspor was now "not able to confirm this information.”

"We have not been able to reach Atsu or Taner Savut,” Toksoz told the Anadolu Agency.

Ghana's ambassador to Türkiye said she was also searching for Atsu. Francisca Ahsitey-Odunton told Ghanaian radio she was given a list of 200 hospitals or medical facilities that Atsu could have been sent to if he was rescued and she had also been unable to confirm where the player was.



Mastantuono’s Move to Real Madrid Was Premature, Says River Boss Gallardo

Franco Mastantuono #30 of CA River Plate looks on during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group E match between CA River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field on June 17, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. )Getty Images/AFP)
Franco Mastantuono #30 of CA River Plate looks on during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group E match between CA River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field on June 17, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. )Getty Images/AFP)
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Mastantuono’s Move to Real Madrid Was Premature, Says River Boss Gallardo

Franco Mastantuono #30 of CA River Plate looks on during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group E match between CA River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field on June 17, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. )Getty Images/AFP)
Franco Mastantuono #30 of CA River Plate looks on during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group E match between CA River Plate and Urawa Red Diamonds at Lumen Field on June 17, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. )Getty Images/AFP)

Franco Mastantuono's transfer to Real Madrid came too soon, while the 17-year-old was still developing and pivotal to River Plate's future, said coach Marcelo Gallardo ahead of the Argentine team's Club World Cup match against Monterrey.

Gallardo acknowledged Mastantuono's departure will leave a void in his squad after the Spanish giants completed a deal worth around $45 million with River for the teenager earlier this month.

For the Argentine manager, the midfielder still needed more time to grow at the club, but he acknowledged the early transfer as an understandable part of modern football.

"It's natural, we train players for the world. Everything is happening earlier, young players are leaving faster, and I understand that those are the rules of the game," Gallardo told ESPN on Friday.

"Our sporting project for the year was with him. We have to readjust, because there are players who, by their nature, are difficult to replace.

"We knew that Mastantuono was going to leave at some point, but fans don't enjoy it that way. The market dictates the timing."

Gallardo said he's urging Mastantuono to stay focused on the tournament despite the noise around his move.

"All I want is for him to play naturally, to try to forget about everything that's going on, which is very difficult," he said.

"I don't talk to him about where he's going to live or anything like that. I want him to play, which is what he knows how to do."

River began their Club World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds, a result Gallardo described as key to easing early nerves.

"We are happy to be able to be in a competition like this, a new one," he said. "I'm excited about how it's going, it was essential to start with a win and get over the nerves.

"Now we're preparing for the match in Monterrey, which is a different level of difficulty."

Following Saturday's game against the Mexican team in Pasadena, River will face Champions League runners-up Inter Milan on Wednesday.