Kudus’ tribute to Atsu who passed away following the earthquake in Turkey

Mohamed Kudus of Ajax escaped a booking from the referee despite taking off his shirt.  Kudus scored a goal after which he was seen giving a tribute to the deceased Christian Atsu. The match referee later revealed that the matter was “bigger than the rules of football”.

The Ghanaian international was on the scoresheet for Ajax’s 4-0 win against Sparta Rotterdam in the Eredivisie on Sunday. It was after an 84th-minute free-kick that the midfielder removed his shirt to reveal the message that read, “RIP Atsu”.

Usually, such actions lead to getting booked with a yellow card warning. However, the referee Pol van Boekel understood that the matter was emotional.   

Words from Kudus

While talking to ESPN, Kudus stated: “This is bigger than the rules of football, it’s about life and death.

“The referee said it was not allowed, but he understood the situation. I am grateful to him for that and I respect him very much.”

Explaining his tribute, Kudus added: “This one was for Christian.

“Everyone knows what happened in Turkey. I chose this because he is dear to me. It’s natural for all those families that are affected.

“I learned a lot from watching him, he also regularly gave me advice. Everything I gave today was for him. If I hadn’t scored, I would have shown the shirt after the game.”

It was recently confirmed Atsu, a winger who previously played for the likes of Chelsea, Everton, and Newcastle had lost his life in Turkey. He was among those who died during the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in Syria and Turkey.  

There have been numerous tributes from the entire football community for the 31-year-old who was playing his trade for Hatayspor. Then, it was revealed that his body was found under the rubble of a building that had collapsed.

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