Former Ghana Black Stars coach, Avram Grant, has shared how he urged the Israeli rescue team to locate Christian Atsu in the wreckage after the earthquake in Turkey.
Grant revealed that he was deeply concerned after hearing the news that a Ghanaian player was trapped in the rubble, and was even more disturbed when he discovered it was Atsu, one of his former players.
He told Joy Sports, "I received news on the first day of the earthquake and when they said it was a player from Ghana, I checked and found out it was Christian Atsu. I spoke with his agent to see if there was anything we could do to help him, and contacted the Israeli search and rescue team, who were deployed to Turkey to assist."
The former Chelsea manager was relieved when he heard false reports that Atsu had been found alive, saying, "We were so happy to hear that he might be okay, but day by day the situation got worse until we heard the news."
When Atsu's death was confirmed, Grant was devastated. "It was one of the saddest days of my life to hear about Christian. He was a good man, fantastic person. This is very difficult for me to talk about, it was a big shock," he said.
Grant previously coached Atsu during the 2015 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) where the player won the Player of the Tournament award. "He was a brilliant player and a great human being," he said.
Atsu's body was found 12 days after the earthquake, which claimed the lives of more than 46,000 people. The Israel Defense Forces sent over 160 personnel, including paramedics and Fire and Rescue Service officials, to help with the rescue effort. They were able to save 19 civilians from the rubble.