Christian Atsu’s partner ‘has to be rock’ after Turkey earthquake death

The Footballer died hours after scoring the winning goal for his team Turkish club Hatayspor

The partner of ex-Newcastle United player Christian Atsu who died in the Turkish earthquake said she was trying to be a “rock” for their children.

The Ghanaian’s final moment as a footballer was to score for Turkish team Hatayspor, hours before the earthquake struck on 6 February.

Marie-Claire Rupio said she had hoped her “strong” partner had survived.

She also told BBC 5 Live telling her children aged three, six and nine was something no parent should have to do.

More than 50,000 people died in the earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria.

Atsu was found dead under the rubble of his home in Antakya on 18 February, almost two weeks after the quakes.

Atsu, 31, played 107 games for Newcastle and had spells with Chelsea, Everton and Bournemouth.

He had won 65 caps for Ghana and joined Hatayspor in September last year after a season with Saudi Arabian team Al-Raed.

Ms Rupio said she had wanted to travel to Turkey when it was reported her partner was missing, but she had to stay in Newcastle to care for their three children.

Ms Rupio said she had hoped her “strong” partner of 11 years had survived the earthquake

She told presenter Naga Munchetty: “I felt helpless. I couldn’t do anything.”

The 28-year-old met the footballer when she was 17 and they had been together for 11 years.

“We had a good relationship and, like other couples, had challenging times, ” she said.

“Living with a footballer you have to get used to them being away a lot of the time, but we have three amazing children to keep me busy.”

She said that because of his hectic schedule Atsu did not call her every day.

She said her last communication with him was when she texted him to congratulate him for scoring the winning goal in the last minute of play.

He texted back “thank you” and that was last time she heard from him.

She said: “I was driving in the car when I heard about the earthquake, but I didn’t think it could happen in a place he would be.

“You just can’t think something like this could happen to someone you love.

“I said to myself, ‘he’s fine’.”

She said Atsu’s sister called her eventually to say the building he had been in had collapsed and she realised the unthinkable was happening and he could be dead.

There was confusion initially, when reports emerged saying Atsu had been found alive and taken to hospital.

Ms Rupio said this was difficult on her children who heard at school their father had been found, only to return home and find out this was not the case.

“That was not nice,” she said.

“I had been saying to them that he may be found. You want to think of a positive outcome, as at that point they were still pulling people out [of the rubble] alive.”

Ms Rupio said when Atsu’s agent called her in the early hours to tell her he had been found, her body “shut down”.

“I’d been thinking, ‘he’s a strong man, he will survive this’. To tell a child their dad isn’t there any more is something no parent wants to have to do.”

She said she now kept going for the sake of their children.

She added: “You have to be strong, you are allowed to show emotions obviously, but you can’t fall down.”

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