A sudden 7.8 magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc in Turkey on Monday (6), traumatizing tens of thousands of lives, and even the footballing elite were not spared. Former star of Premier League giants Chelsea and Newcastle, Kristian Esu, was trapped in the shattered rubble. The fate of the player, who played for several top teams, is now the focus of global attention, with even Turkish star Dimitre desperately pleading for help via video.
The 31-year-old Kristian Eisu was playing for Turkish Super League side Hattiesburg, and in his last league match he helped his team to a 1-0 win with a strike late in the game. However, the earthquake that immediately followed caused him an unprecedented crisis off the field. He disappeared along with the club's sporting director, Shahot, and the two may now be trapped under a collapsed building. Turkish rescue teams are doing their best to find them. There are still conflicting reports about them, with the UK Guardian having reported that Gisdian Esu had been rescued, but the Hattaspor side later denied this and said that the search and rescue operation was still underway in an intense manner.
Clubs such as Kirstian Esu's former owners, Newcastle and Chelsea, have posted on social media, praying for his safety. Hattiesburg's technical director, Dimitre, even sent out an urgent plea for help via Instagram Live: "Help us! Please bring all your resources to help us ...... Please, the people here are dying ......" Also not spared is Duslan, a goalkeeper from Turkey's second division, whose life or death is a mystery.
