February 13, (THEWILL) – In light of the devastating earthquakes that recently struck Turkey and Syria, UEFA has announced a series of tributes to show support for those affected.
THEWILL recalls that over 33,000 people have been confirmed dead, and the United Nations predicts the toll will double. In response to the crisis, UEFA has confirmed a minute’s silence will be observed before each fixture across its club competitions this week, along with a commemorative banner featuring the message “We are together with you” in Turkish and Arabic.
Teams and referees also have the option to wear black armbands. In addition to these, UEFA also announced a donation of €150,000 to the Turkish Football Federation and an additional €50,000 to the Bonyan Organization and Tiafi, organisations providing disaster relief.
Turkish club Trabzonspor will play Basel in the Europa Conference League knockout round this week, while Istanbul Basaksehir and Sivasspor advanced to the last 16 of that competition, and Fenerbahce is into the same round in the Europa League. However, Hatayspor and Gaziantep, two clubs based in the affected region, have withdrawn from the Turkish Super Lig.
The whereabouts of former Chelsea and Newcastle United player Christian Atsu, who plays for Hatayspor, continue to remain unknown.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
