Marie-Claire Rupio, the wife of deceased Black Stars player, Christian Atsu, has said she still sends her late husband WhatsApp messages.

She told UK outlet, The Athletic that she sometimes questions Atsu over why he is not alive and also messages him when their children ask of him.

The Portuguese added that she does not have a coping mechanism, noting that she only tries to survive daily because mentally it's tough.

“When people say, ‘How are you coping?’ I don’t cope. I just survive every day,” says Claire. “Mentally, you’re fine for a few days, maybe a week, but then lots of emotion comes.

“Sometimes I message Christian on WhatsApp — I just need to let it out,” she says. “‘Why are you not here?’ or maybe one of the kids needs him.”

Narrating how she received the news of her husband's passing, she said Atsu's agent Nana Sechere informed her at 3 am while sobbing.

“It was around 3 am on Saturday, and when I saw Nana’s name come up on my phone I knew: this is it.”

“I picked up and he was just crying. He said, ‘I’m so sorry’, and he couldn’t say anything more."

Claire was left traumatized and could not figure out how to tell the kids about their father's passing on the spot.

“I needed to figure out how I was going to tell my kids that their dad was gone. It was terrible, there was so much going through my mind.”

She could not tell the kids right away, but had to take them out for practice in the day and asked the coaches not to show signs that Atsu had passed.

“One of the coaches just came up to me and gave me a hug, but I told him just to be normal as I hadn’t told them yet. They were awaiting good news when I sat them down and then I looked at them…”

Claire had to let the cat out of the bag anyway, hence, she proceeded to do what she wished 'no parent has to do'.

“I told them, ‘They have found your dad, but he didn’t make it’. It’s something I wish no parent has to do. It was heartbreaking, he was everything to them. Losing anyone is difficult, but we couldn’t even say goodbye.”

It is a year since the passing of Christian Atsu following an earthquake in Turkey. The former Black Stars player was trapped under the rubble for about three days before he was found lifeless on February 8, 2023.

EE/EK