Abdul Hayye Yartey, Christian Atsu’s former local manager, has revealed that the late footballer donated his first FC Porto salary of €800 to a Ghanaian church.
Atsu, who died at the age of 31 in Turkey as a result of an earthquake, was scouted from Yartey’s Cheetah FC and joined the youth team of Portuguese giants FC Porto in 2009.
Yartey described Atsu’s relationship with God, saying he was a devout Christian who always tried to persuade his friends to join him at church.
“When Christian went to Porto and won the trials, Porto continued to pay him 800 euros per month,” Yartey explained to TV3.
“So I received 800 euros from Christian via Western Union, and I was overjoyed thinking he had sent me money, but his call followed up. He stated that the 800 euros he sent were equivalent to x amount of Ghana cedis, which he directed me to give to the church.
Nearly two weeks after the 6 February earthquake claimed more than 46,000 lives in Turkey and Syria, Atsu was officially confirmed dead on Saturday, Feb 6. after his body was retrieved from under the rubble.
Tributes have been pouring in from all walks of life in solidarity with his family.
The family has set March 4 for his one-week observation.
