Family of ‘brain dead’ China footballer ‘just want to know truth’

The family of a Chinese youth footballer declared “brain dead” after he sustained a serious injury during a match in Spain have accused the Beijing FA of withholding information about the incident.

Guo Jiaxuan, 18, fell into a coma on February 6 after an accident during a training match between the Beijing men’s U-20 team and a Spanish side from a Madrid suburb, according to a statement by Beijing’s football association.

The Beijing FA did not provide details of the specific circumstances that led to Guo’s injury, and the player’s brother said on social media on Wednesday that authorities had “delayed again and again” releasing information.

The family is demanding video footage of the match, details on the medical treatment before he reached the hospital and information about Guo’s insurance.

In the social media post, also reported by Chinese state media outlet Xinhua, Guo’s brother complained that they had not seen anyone from the Beijing FA in days.

He also shared screenshots of phone text conversations which appeared to show repeated requests for information being ignored.

“The family just want to know the truth, why is it so hard?” he wrote.

In their statement, the Beijing FA said that “medical staff from both teams rushed on to the field for on-site first aid” before Guo was airlifted to a local neurosurgery hospital where he was later declared “brain dead”.

He was transferred to China for further care last week but his condition shows “no improvement” his brother wrote.

“We are gradually accepting reality,” he said.

Guo has played as a defender for the U-19 team of top-tier Beijing Guoan and was selected for China’s U-17 team in 2023.

He was also previously included in the FC Bayern World Squad, an annual project run by Germany’s largest club to unearth global talent.