Chinese youth footballer dies after head injury in Spain

A promising Chinese youth footballer has died after suffering a serious head injury during training in Spain, his club said Thursday.

Guo Jiaxuan fell into a coma last month after an accident during a training match between Beijing men’s U-20 team and Spanish side RC Alcobendas in Madrid.

He was declared “brain dead” by a local hospital before being transferred to China, where he was receiving further care at Beijing Tiantan Hospital.

Guo, who played for the U-19 team of top-tier Beijing Guoan, passed away on Wednesday evening, the club wrote in a social media post.

“We’ve lost a child who loves football. May Jiaxuan rest in peace!” the club said.

“The club will continue to do its utmost to properly handle the aftermath and provide all necessary help and support to Guo Jiaxuan’s family,” it added.

Guo, who was selected for China’s U-17 team in 2023 and was once part of the FC Bayern World Squad project run by Germany’s largest club, died a day short of his nineteenth birthday.

On social media, Guo’s brother posted a black-and-white photo of the young defender with the caption: “He’ll forever be frozen on the last day of his 18th year”.

Last month, he wrote that Guo’s condition showed “no improvement” and the family was “gradually accepting reality”.

The specific circumstances that led to Guo’s injury remain unclear and his family have accused the Beijing Football Association of withholding information about the incident and failing to communicate with them.

They have demanded video footage of the match, details on Guo’s medical treatment before he reached hospital and information about his insurance.

On Tuesday, Guo’s brother wrote on social media that the family “just want the truth and justice”.

In an online statement posted on Thursday, the Beijing FA said it had refrained from “continuously disclosing information” since the incident to “avoid irrelevant personnel interfering with medical work, and taking into account the feelings of family members”.

It added they had now obtained video footage of the match and organised experts to analyse it.

“We have made every effort to coordinate medical resources for treatment and meet the needs of his family as much as possible”, the Beijing FA said.