The football world has been thrown into mourning after Czech Republic and Alanyaspor star Josef Sural was killed in a fatal crash involving his team coach. Sural, a 28-year-old striker, died at the hospital where he and six of his team-mates were taken after the crash, the club said on Twitter.
Seven Alanyaspor players – including former England international Steven Caulker and ex-Newcastle United striker Papiss Cisse – had rented a VIP minibus to return from the club’s 1-1 draw against Kayserispor on Sunday and the bus crashed three miles from the southern coastal town of Alanya.
Djalma Campos, Baiano, Welinton and Isaac Sackey were the four other players caught up in the accident. The rest of the club’s players and staff had returned with the team bus or on their own, a Turkish agency said, adding that the driver of the VIP bus had been detained following the accident and an investigation had been launched.
Club Chairman Hasan Cavusoglu said the driver had fallen asleep behind the wheel. A second driver was asleep at the time. ‘According to information I received from our police chief, despite there being two drivers on the vehicle, they were both asleep. The crash happened as a result of them both being asleep,’ Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency quoted Cavusoglu as saying.
He said the other six players injured in the crash were not in critical condition.Speaking on TV channel TRT Spor, Sural’s team-mate Haydar Yilmaz said: ‘It’s like a joke, I still can’t believe it. ‘I wish there was something we could do. I don’t know what to do. The situation of our wounded friends is good, but they are psychologically very bad.’ Sural’s former club Sparta Prague were among the first to pay tribute to their former captain following news of his death.
The Czech club wrote on Twitter: ‘We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of our friend and former captain. ‘We would like to express our condolences to his family. Šury, we will never forget you. Rest in peace!’
We are deeply saddened by the tragic news of the death of our friend and former captain Josef Šural. We would like to express our condolences to his family.
Šury, we will never forget you. Rest in peace!— AC Sparta Prague (@ACSparta_EN) April 29, 2019
Team-mate Caulker, who had scored his first goal for the club on Sunday in their 1-1 draw with Kayserispor, posted messages on his Instagram. Arsenal goalkeeper and former international team-mate Petr Cech also posted his condolences.
He tweeted in Czech, writing: ‘Sad news from this morning. Sincere condolences to the family and to all the loved ones. R.i.p.’
Smutná zpráva z dnešního rána . Upřímnou soustrast rodině a všem blízkým . R.I.P pic.twitter.com/RJQ4N1quSf
— Petr Cech (@PetrCech) April 29, 2019
Former France international and Sparta Prague team-mate Rio Mavuba posted: ‘Beyond football a good man. We all think of you Josef and your family.’ Sural started his career at FC Zbrojovka Brno having come through their academy. He made 37 appearances for the club before moving to Slovan Liberec in 2011.
Rest in peace Josef Sural.
Our thoughts are with Josef’s family and all those connected to the club. ??
— AFC Ajax (@AFCAjax) April 29, 2019
Au-delà du football un homme bien . On pense tous à toi Josef ainsi qu’à ta famille ? #sural #tristesse #rip pic.twitter.com/mYZRPl9533
— Rio Mavuba (@riomavuba) April 29, 2019
He made the move to Sparta Prague in 2016, where he was captain until his move to Turkey in January. Sural was capped 20 times for his country, scoring his only goal in a 3-2 win against Holland in October 2015. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.