A TEENAGE footballer has died in hospital after a clash with another player during a friendly match in Spain.
Chinese player Guo Jiaxuan was knocked unconscious after receiving a knee to his face last month in Madrid during a training game against Spanish side RC Alcobendas, organised by the Beijing Football Association.
Guo Jiaxuan has died after suffering a knee to the head in a match[/caption]
The 18-year-old defender, declared brain dead while he was still in Spain after being rushed to a medical centre, was flown back to his homeland in an air ambulance on February 13 – a week after the freak accident.
He was admitted to Pekin’s Tiantan Hospital the following day and had been kept on a life support machine.
Yesterday his family were told his condition had worsened and he was subsequently officially declared dead.
It was not immediately clear if his loved ones had managed to make it to hospital to say their goodbyes.
Guo, who joined Chinese Super League side Beijing Guoan aged 13 as a youth player, had previously represented the Chinese national team at under-17 level and had been invited to train with Bayern Munich in 2023.
He became part of Bayern Munich‘s World Squad, an international project by the German giants aimed at developing promising players from around the world.
Guo’s brother revealed on social media after the February 6 clash that led to him being declared brain dead that he had suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage – a form of stroke caused by bleeding on the brain – in the accidental collision.
His father had reportedly refused the doctor’s suggestion to turn off his son’s life support and perform an autopsy, and instead sought for him to be repatriated to China for further treatment.
RC Alcobendas had offered a message of support for Guo and his family while he was still in Spain, saying in a statement: “We want to express our deep concern for the player from the Beijing Football Association delegation who suffered an accident during the friendly match played this morning against our first team.
“We send all our support to him, his family and his team at this difficult time. We sincerely wish you a speedy recovery.”
The club has yet to comment following confirmation Guo has died in hospital.
