In Stuttgart, Germany, a poignant moment unfolded during the Champions League match when players from the Swiss team Young Boys honored their teammate Meschack Elia, whose son tragically passed away earlier in the week.
In the sixth minute of the match, Lukasz Lakomy put Young Boys ahead with a powerful long-distance shot and then made his way to the sidelines. There, he displayed Eliaโs shirt while his fellow teammates rallied around him in solidarity.
Earlier that day, Young Boys issued a statement revealing that Eliaโs son had died unexpectedly after a brief illness in the playerโs native country of Congo. The club mentioned that the 27-year-old Elia received the heartbreaking news on Tuesday evening and traveled to Congo to be with his grieving family.
As a show of respect, both teams donned black armbands during the match, and there was a moment of silence observed just prior to kickoff. Despite their valiant efforts, Young Boys suffered a heavy defeat, with Stuttgart winning the match 5-1, marking the Swiss championsโ sixth consecutive loss in the tournament.
Young Boysโ captain, Loris Benito, reflected on the significance of the match, emphasizing that it was overshadowed by the tragedy that had recently struck their team. Benito expressed to broadcaster DAZN, โTonight is not about sport for us but about the tragedy we went through yesterday. Itโs unimaginable, and everything else seems insignificant at such a time.โ