Chinese footballer Guo Jiaxuan dies after suffering a serious head injury during training in Spain, just days before his 19th birthday

A promising Chinese youth footballer, Guo Jiaxuan, has tragically passed away after sustaining a serious head injury during a training session in Spain.

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The incident occurred last month when Guo, a defender for the Beijing Guoan U-19 team, was participating in a training match between his team and Spanish side RC Alcobendas in Madrid. Guo fell into a coma after the accident and was later declared “brain dead” by a local hospital.

Following his diagnosis, Guo was transferred back to China for further medical treatment and was admitted to Beijing Tiantan Hospital.

Despite the efforts of medical professionals, Guo tragically passed away on Wednesday evening, just one day before his nineteenth birthday.

In a heartfelt social media post, Beijing Guoan expressed their grief, stating, “We’ve lost a child who loves football. May Jiaxuan rest in peace!”

The club further pledged to support Guo’s family during this difficult time, stating that they would do everything in their power to handle the aftermath and provide necessary help.

Guo was a rising star in Chinese football, having been selected for China’s U-17 team in 2023. He was also part of the prestigious FC Bayern World Squad project, which is run by Germany’s renowned football club, Bayern Munich. Guo’s untimely death has left his family and the football community in shock.

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

He had previously shared updates on Guo’s condition, stating that the family was coming to terms with the situation as his condition showed no improvement.

The exact circumstances surrounding Guo’s injury remain unclear, and his family has accused the Beijing Football Association (FA) of withholding information regarding the incident.

They have demanded access to video footage from the training match, as well as details on Guo’s medical treatment prior to being transferred to the hospital and information about his insurance.

In response, the Beijing FA issued a statement on Thursday addressing the family’s concerns. They explained that they had refrained from releasing continuous updates to avoid interfering with medical work and to respect the family’s wishes.

The FA confirmed they had now obtained the video footage of the match and were in the process of having it analyzed by experts.