Volkan Demirel, speaking on Wednesday, challenged rumors about Ghanaian football star Christian Atsu. Hatayspor’s coach asserted that Atsu had not been confirmed as rescued and emphasized the need for caution about such claims. He also noted that there are others in the club who deserve clarity, including the sporting director Taner Savut, who remained unaccounted for at the time of his remarks.
In a conversation with Liberty newspaper, Demirel urged restraint. He said, “Please, do not publish that someone is alive until you have verified the fact. Families hold onto hope and endure growing grief.”
“There is still no news about Atsu or Savut. I would not speak this way if there were hospital confirmations,” the coach added. “We are going through extremely challenging days.”
Former malaguista Atsu fell from the ninth floor after his building collapsed in the earthquake in Turkey.
Discrepancies may stem from earlier miscommunications, as a hospital doctor noted a different chain of events when approached by reporters. Hatayspor’s spokesperson, Gurbey Kahveci, commented on the situation.
“When we received the situation, they took him to Dortyol Hospital. We searched for him, but he was not there. At this moment, and sadly, we have not located either Taner Savut or Christian Atsu.”
The club later communicated that the international forward had been rescued. While he is reported to be alive, there is no update on his current condition. The 31-year-old striker, who found the net in his most recent match last Sunday, has previously been on the rosters of several notable clubs, including Fenerbahçe and other European teams commonly linked with high-profile transfers.
The earthquake struck about 180 kilometers south of a major Turkish city, in a region that bears the brunt of the disaster. The event, registering a magnitude of 7.6, heavily impacted the southeast of Turkey and neighboring areas in Syria, triggering a sweeping humanitarian crisis and a massive number of lives lost to date.