Marie-Claire Rupio, the wife of the late Ghanaian footballer Christian Atsu, has opened up about the emotional struggles they have been enduring since the footballer’s passing.
She revealed that the most poignant moments have arisen when Christian Atsu’s three children inquire about the whereabouts of their father.
Rupio opened up about their four-year-old daughter’s innocent query, saying, “She asked when her dad was calling.”
In a conversation with the BBC, Rupio talked about the challenges their eldest son is facing. Having experienced numerous treasured moments with Christian Atsu, their son is finding it difficult to manage.
Rupio stated, “He is the main one who is struggling because he has more memories,” and he is “not really ready to talk about it.”
Rupio also mentioned that their children continue to ask challenging questions that are difficult to answer.
She emphasised that she has been striving to stay strong for her children, saying, “You have to be strong.” “You’re allowed to show emotions, obviously, but you can’t fall down.
“You have to be the rock now for everybody. I do break down a lot of times, so it’s not easy to balance everything,” she told the BBC.
Recalling the heartbreaking moment of breaking the news to their children, Rupio said, “I couldn’t really cry because I was in shock.” I didn’t want to believe [it was true]. I think my body just shut down.
” The next morning, the children had football, and I didn’t want to take that from them. After [that] I had to sit them down and explain it to them. It’s not easy. It’s not something you would wish on anybody.”
Christian Atsu died at the age of 31 and was found dead under the rubble of his home in Turkey on February 18.