Czech Republic international Josef Å ural has died after a minibus carrying players from his club side, Aytemiz Alanyaspor, crashed while returning from an away match.
Å ural, a 28-year-old striker, died at the hospital where he and six of his teammates, including one-cap England international Steven Caulker and Papiss Cisse, were taken after the crash, the club said on Twitter.
Å ural, who won 20 caps for his country and scored once, was rushed to a nearby hospital and immediately taken for an operation, but could not be saved by doctors.
Å ural had been an unused substitute during Sunday's 1-1 draw with Kayserispor, in which Caulker had scored for the away side.
Caulker joined the club in January after a spell with Dundee. Former Newcastle striker Cisse had also played in the fixture.
The VIP minibus, rented by the seven players, departed from Kayseri after a match on Sunday and went off the road approximately 5km from the Mediterranean city Alanya.
The rest of the club's players and staff had returned with the team bus or on their own.
The bus had two drivers and both fell asleep, according to Alanyaspor's chairman Hasan Çavuşoğlu, quoting police sources and as reported in Turkey.
“According to information I received from our police chief, despite there being two drivers on the vehicle, they were both asleep," Çavuşoğlu said, according to Anadolu.
"The crash happened as a result of them both being asleep.â€
According to Anadolu, the drivers have been detained following the accident and an investigation had been launched.
It's reported locally that both Caulker and Cisse picked up minor injuries.
Å ural, a father of two, moved to Turkey from his homeland in January, signing from Sparta Prague for a nominal fee.
He had also previously played for both Slovan Liberec and FC Brno.
Turkey's Football federation (TFF) released a statement on Monday morning declaring: "We have learned with great sadness that Josef Sural, who was seriously injured as a result of an accident in a private minibus carrying Aytemiz Alanyasporlu football players, died in the hospital where he was treated, and six players were injured.
"We would like to express our deepest condolences and appreciation to all lovers of the Alanyaspor community."
Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech, a former international teammate of Sural, tweeted his condolences also.
"Sad news from this morning. Sincere condolences to the family and to all the loved ones. RIP."
Source: mirror