Photo: Beijing Guoan Football Club

Guo Jiaxuan, a 19-year-old player with the Beijing Guoan Football Club who was diagnosed with brain death after suffering a severe injury during a friendly match in Spain, will soon arrive in Beijing to continue his treatment, according to a statement released by the Beijing Football Association (BFA) on Thursday.

"We are deeply saddened by this unfortunate incident. As long as there is even a glimmer of hope, we will not give up and will do everything we can for the follow-up work," BFA said.  

On the morning of February 6, local time in Spain, during a friendly match between the Beijing U20 Football Team and the Spanish club RC Alcobendas, Guo was accidentally injured and fell into a coma. Medical personnel from both teams rushed onto the field to provide on-site assistance. An ambulance and helicopter arrived shortly after, and local medical staff performed emergency resuscitation. He was then transferred by helicopter to a renowned local neurology hospital for further treatment. After nearly four hours of intensive rescue efforts, the hospital diagnosed him with brain death, the statement said.

The statement came after a user with the name 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, saying that the subsequent treatment and compensation for Guo's 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. 

BFA said in the statement that according to local laws in Spain, once a patient is diagnosed with brain death, the hospital has the right to terminate treatment.

"In an effort to fight for even a slim chance of survival, we have continuously urged the hospital to spare no effort in treating Guo and have coordinated with Chinese neurology experts for remote consultations with the Western doctors in charge. On February 7, relevant officials from the Chinese Embassy in Spain arrived at the hospital, expressed a strong desire to continue treatment, and actively coordinated for an international SOS medical airlift to transfer him back to China for further care. Jiaxuan's family arrived at the hospital on the morning of February 8, local time, to fully participate in the treatment process," said BFA.

Guo is a defender with 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, according to the club.

Global Times