Guo Jiaxuan Photo: Southern Metropolis Daily

The Beijing Football Association said on Wednesday that they had reached an agreement with the family of footballer Guo Jiaxuan, to bring him back to China for continued treatment, the Southern Metropolis Daily r eported. The 18-year-old Beijing Guoan player, who trained with FC Bayern Munich in 2023, suffered a severe injury during training in Spain on Thursday, which reportedly led to brain death.

A staff member from the association noted that "they are fully committed to ensuring his treatment." The Beijing Football Association will make a public statement on the matter in the future. As of Wednesday, the situation had been "handled," and an agreement had been reached with the family. 

The staff member added they could not disclose any information regarding who will be taking on the responsibility to bear  the costs for subsequent medical treatment, but assured that "everything will be fully supported," according to the Southern Metropolis Daily.

On Tuesday, a user with the handle of "Da Qi Ya Ha Bi Bi," who claimed to be a family member of Guo, posted on the Chinese social app RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, said that during a training session and a competition in Madrid, Spain, Guo suffered a serious injury. Local doctors in Madrid have declared him brain dead, and the subsequent treatment and compensation for his return to China were not guaranteed.

According to the post, after Guo was sent to the hospital for emergency treatment, he was diagnosed with excessive intracranial bleeding. After arriving in Spain on Saturday, Guo's father said he was unwilling to have an autopsy performed on Guo and wanted to bring him back to China for continued treatment. The father therefore submitted a letter of understanding to the local court. 

The footballer was born in Beijing on March 20, 2006. As a defender for the U19 team of Beijing Guoan Football Club, he participated in national U-series and Youth Super League events, earning the title of Best Player, and was selected for the China U17 national men's football team in 2023. In June 2023, he was also successfully included in the Bayern World Team roster, becoming the only Chinese player selected for the list.