Christian Atsu has been pulled from the rubble of a building "with injuries" after the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
There was concern for the Hatayspor winger when reports emerged search and rescue teams were still looking for him, as well as the club's sporting director Taner Savut, after the tremors.
The earthquakes are estimated to have killed more than 5,000 people, with Hatay one of the most affected areas due to its close proximity to the epicentre.
But Hatayspor's vice-president Mustafa Ozat released positive news that Atsu, who made 107 league appearances for Newcastle United between 2016 and 2020, was alive when pulled from a collapsed building, though Savut remains in the rubble.
"Christian Atsu was removed from the wreckage with injuries," Ozat told Radyo Gol. "Unfortunately, our sporting director Taner Savut is still under the rubble.
"Hatay was deeply affected. We are coming towards the end of the most dangerous hours."
The Ghana Football Association tweeted: "We've received some positive news that Christian Atsu has been successfully rescued from the rubble of the collapsed building and is receiving treatment.
"Let's continue to pray for Christian."
There is concern for Hatayspor winger Christian Atsu following devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
The tremors have killed more than 2,000 people, and reports suggest search and rescue teams are still looking for Atsu, along with his club's sporting director Taner Savut.
Atsu, 31, scored a stoppage-time winner for Hatayspor in Sunday's Super Lig game against Kasimpasa.
The Ghana Football Association was seeking to make contact with Hatayspor as news was awaited on the player's wellbeing.
"We pray for Ghana international Christian Atsu and victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria," a Twitter post said.
"We continue with our efforts to establish contact with officials of Hatayspor and the Turkish Football Federation, considering the difficult situation.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with Christian Atsu and our brothers and sisters in Turkey and Syria. We remain hopeful for positive news."
Newcastle United, who Atsu represented for five years, playing 121 times, posted: "Praying for some positive news, @ChristianAtsu20."
Several leading players have shared their support for those affected in Turkey and Syria.
Fenerbahce have vowed to aid in the disaster relief efforts after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake killed more than 1,200 people in Turkey and Syria on Monday.
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the earthquake – which struck around 04:00 local time, with the epicentre located in the southern Kahramanmaras province – has resulted in 912 deaths in Turkey alone, while Syria's state news agency put the toll there at 320.
Erdogan also put the wounded total at 5,383 but both figures continue to rise, with the Kandilli observatory and earthquake research centre recording over 100 aftershocks.
"About 53 of them over four [on the Richter scale]," Dr Haluk Ozener is quoted as saying by the BBC.
Adana and Gaziantep – the latter being only 20 miles from the epicentre – are among the major cities hit by the quake, which was also felt as far away as Cyprus.
Istanbul-based Fener, one of Turkey's biggest football clubs, are in talks to help in the relief effort as they look to mobilise their members, who they say form the biggest organisation of its kind in the country.
"We are with our country. Our club has started work for the earthquake," read a statement on social media.
"Our club is getting ready to take steps after the earthquake disaster, which was felt in many cities, especially in Kahramanmaras, including in Hatay, Gaziantep, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Malatya and Sanlıurfa, and left the whole of Turkey with sadness.
"As Turkey's largest 'civil society organisation', Fenerbahce Sports Club, which has stood by its country and its citizens, has immediately started to work to take the most beneficial steps in the face of today's national disaster.
"We state that we will stand by our citizens in disaster areas with the action plan we will determine as a result of the negotiations."
Fellow Turkish giants Galatasaray published a list of required items and asked for donations to be handed in at the Ali Sami Yen Sports Complex, with sleeping bags, thermal blankets and baby food among the requested articles.
Free agent Isco is in talks with Konyaspor after failing to complete a move to Union Berlin, the Turkish club's vice-president Mehmet Akcan has revealed.
Isco, who was released by Sevilla in December after just four months at the club, looked set for a new challenge in Berlin when he reportedly completed a medical with Union.
However, the 30-year-old's move to the Bundesliga side collapsed on Tuesday over personal terms, with both parties blaming the other.
Former Real Madrid midfielder Isco may now have found another club, though, as discussions are ongoing with Super Lig side Konyaspor.
"That is correct. We are in a negotiating process with Isco," Akcan is quoted as saying by Spanish outlet AS.
"I can tell you that dialogues are going well. We are not yet sure if we have reached an agreement, otherwise we'd say so openly.
"We're doing everything possible to close the signing. We have until January 8, but I think everything will be resolved one way or another as soon as possible.
"Now we have the chance to close the signing and are positive of doing so."
Isco began his career with spells at Valencia and Malaga before spending nine years with Madrid, whom he left at the end of last season for a short stint with Sevilla.
He made 19 appearances for Sevilla in the first half of the season, scoring once and providing three assists, but his contract was mutually terminated six weeks ago.
Serie A heavyweights Juventus and Napoli were previously linked with the 38-cap Spain international, while Konyaspor's league rivals Fenerbahce are also reportedly interested.
Konyaspor are eighth in the Turkish top-flight, 13 points adrift of the European places.
Isco's former Sevilla team-mate Adnan Januzaj as also secured a move to Turkey.
The winger, who signed for the club on a free transfer in August, has joined Istanbul Basaksehir on loan until the end of the season after making just six appearances across all competitions.
Dele Alli opened his Besiktas account in a 3-2 Super Lig win over Ankaragucu on Sunday, ending the former Tottenham midfielder's 13-month wait for a competitive goal.
Alli left Spurs to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal with Everton in January, but he only made one Premier League start for the Toffees before heading to Turkey on loan last month.
Having made his Besiktas bow against Sivasspor last week, Alli got on the scoresheet on his second appearance, firing Valerien Ismael's men into a 2-1 first-half lead.
The 26-year-old raced onto a knock-down from Burnley loanee Wout Weghorst to side-foot home after 35 minutes, scoring his first league goal since he converted a penalty in Tottenham's 1-0 win at Wolves in August 2021.
Alli's goal came from his first attempt in the match, while Weghorst has now recorded a league-high four assists this season – each of them for a different player (Alli, Jackson Muleka, Georges-Kevin Nkoudou and Rachid Ghezzal).
Alli scored 51 goals in 181 Premier League appearances for Spurs, although over half of that tally (28) came in his first two seasons (10 in 2015-16, 18 in 2016-17). His last open-play goal in the English top flight came in January 2020.
Mario Balotelli finished the Turkish Super Lig season in stunning fashion with the first five-goal haul in Adana Demirspor's top-flight history.
Ninth in the table heading into Sunday, Balotelli's ADS had little to play for against already-relegated Goztepe but put on a show.
Vincenzo Montella's side ran out 7-0 winners, with Balotelli hitting five to finish the season on 18 league goals – behind only Kasimpasa's Umut Bozok (20).
The Italy international's outstanding display represented a club first, while Alex in May 2011 had been the last Super Lig player to net five in a match, for Fenerbahce against Ankaragucu.
This was Balotelli's first hat-trick since scoring three for Manchester City against Aston Villa in December 2010, making him the first foreign player to hit a treble for ADS.
As if these achievements were not enough, Balotelli's fifth goal was an outrageous effort perhaps set to be considered for the FIFA Puskas Award.
Seven step-overs tied Atakan Cankaya – who had earlier scored an own goal – in knots, finally working space seemingly for a left-footed shot before the striker executed a sublime right-footed rabona finish across the goalkeeper and into the bottom-right corner.
"Five goals for me today," Balotelli posted on Instagram. "There was no better way to finish the championship! Thank you to everyone."
Mesut Ozil has offered his first public reaction to being cut adrift of the Fenerbahce first team.
Former Real Madrid and Arsenal playmaker Ozil has been dropped from the senior squad with immediate effect, the Turkish giants announced on Thursday.
Fenerbahce did not explain the reason behind the decision to sideline Ozil, with the same fate befalling Turkey midfielder Ozan Tufan.
Reports in Turkey have claimed the decisions followed disputes involving the players and coach Ismail Kartal, and that neither will train with the first team.
It is unclear at this stage whether there is any way back at the club for either player.
Ozil posted a message on social media on Friday that translated as "The main thing is Fenerbahce", accompanied by the club flag and Turkey's national flag.
German star Ozil was substituted at half-time in Fenerbahce's game against Konyaspor on Sunday, with the team trailing 1-0 at that stage. They recovered to win 2-1, with Tufan entering the game late on as a substitute.
Kartal praised the squad after the Konyaspor game and announced all of his players, aside from those going away on international duty, could have a three-day break.
Fenerbahce signed Ozil from Arsenal in January 2021 after he fell out of favour with the Premier League club. Tufan spent the first half of this season at Watford.
The signing of Ozil was considered a major coup for the Istanbul giants.
Fenerbahce sit third in the Turkish Super Lig this season, two points behind Konyaspor but 17 adrift of runaway leaders Trabzonspor.
Mesut Ozil has been cut from the Fenerbahce first-team squad with immediate effect, the Turkish giants announced on Thursday.
No explanation was immediately forthcoming for the decision to drop former Real Madrid and Arsenal star Ozil from the club's plans.
The same action was taken regarding Turkey midfielder Ozan Tufan.
Fenerbahce issued a statement that read: "Our football A team players Mesut Ozil and Ozan Tufan were excluded from the squad as per the decision taken."
Ozil was substituted at half-time in Fenerbahce's game against Konyaspor on Sunday, with the team trailing 1-0 at that stage. They recovered to win 2-1, with Tufan entering the game late on as a substitute.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Ozil revealed he had taken a short getaway since that game, with the 33-year-old accompanying his message of "Back in Istanbul after 3 days off" with a picture of himself on an aeroplane.
That followed coach Ismail Kartal praising the squad after the Konyaspor game and announcing all of his players, aside from those going away on international duty, could have a three-day break.
Former Germany international Ozil was a star-name signing when he arrived from Arsenal in January 2021, having fallen out of favour with the Premier League club. Tufan spent the first half of this season at Watford.
Fenerbahce sit third in the Turkish Super Lig this season, two points behind Konyaspor but 17 adrift of runaway leaders Trabzonspor.
Galatasaray defender Marcao is facing a lengthy ban for headbutting and punching team-mate Kerem Akturkoglu during a Super Lig victory at Giresunspor on Monday.
Brazilian centre-back Marcao confronted winger Akturkoglu during the second half of the game when his side were leading 2-0.
An enraged Marcao headbutted Akturkoglu before swinging for the 22-year-old Turkey international twice.
Marcao was given his marching orders following a VAR review and could reportedly face a 10-match ban.
Galatasaray manager Fatih Terim said after his side saw out a 2-0 win: "The club will do what is necessary in their own way.
"Marcao will apologise to Kerem and the rest of the team for his behaviour."
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