Real Madrid ‘invite Morocco earthquake victim to join their academy and continue his education in Spain’ – after heartbreaking video of the teenager crying into his Los Blancos shirt after losing his family goes viral
- The 14-year-old lost his mother, father, two siblings, and grandfather in tremor
- A number of high-profile Moroccan stars have shared support for the victims
- Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’
Real Madrid will invite the young fan who lost five family members in the Morocco earthquake to join their youth academy and continue his education, according to reports.
Abdul Rahim Awida caught the attention of social media when he was interviewed in the wake of the natural disaster wearing a Real Madrid jersey.
Speaking to Al-Arabiya, the 14-year-old tearfully described the horror of losing his mother, father, two siblings, and his grandfather in the 6.8 magnitude tremor, which has killed over 2,500 people and injured thousands more in the region.
Images of Awida using his Los Blancos shirt to dry his tears whilst discussing his plans to continue his education in spite of the tragedy sparked worldwide concern.
And as per the Sun, the club were among those keen to reach and support the teenager.
Abdul Rahim Awida was interviewed on Al-Arabiya wearing a Real Madrid jersey and his heartbreaking story about losing his family in the Morocco earthquake quickly went viral
Club president Florentino Perez previously issued a missive of support for the nation in the wake of the disaster
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As the interview gained traction on X (formerly Twitter), Real are said to have reached out to the station, who in turn passed on the contact details of Awida’s uncle.
The Spanish club are thought to have offered the boy support and flown him to Spain to join La Fabrica, where he will play football alongside studying.
In the interview, Awida discusses his desire to fulfil his ‘father’s dream’ and study to become ‘a doctor or a teacher’ but appeared distressed at the thought of continuing.
Real Madrid are one of a number of clubs that have paid tribute to the victims of the disaster, releasing an official statement that stressed their ‘deepest concern’ for those affected.
The statement read: ‘Real Madrid C.F., its president and Board of Directors express their deepest concern and solidarity with the victims of the earthquake in Morocco in recent hours.
The 14-year-old paused his interview to wipe his tears on his Real Madrid shirt when describing his plans for the future without his family
The tremor is the worst the country has experienced in over 120 years and the death toll is expected to rise in rural areas
‘Our club extends its condolences to the families of the deceased and all the Moroccan people.
‘Likewise, we wish the injured a speedy recovery and we transmit all of our strength and affection.’
Morocco internationals including Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi and Manchester United’s Sofyan Amrabat also posted supportive messages on social media after the earthquake struck at the end of last week.
The earthquake is the biggest to have hit the African nation in over 120 years, and the United States Geological Survey warned in the wake of the tremor that the death toll was likely to rise significantly, due to febrile rural infrastructure.
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