The family of 18-year-old Chinese footballer Guo Jiaxuan, who was declared “brain dead” after sustaining a severe injury during a training match in Spain, has accused the Beijing Football Association (FA) of withholding crucial details about the incident.
Guo fell into a coma on February 6 during a match between the Beijing men’s U-20 team and a Spanish club from a Madrid suburb. In a statement, the Beijing FA confirmed his injury but did not disclose the specific circumstances leading to it.
His brother, in a social media post on Wednesday, criticized the authorities for delaying the release of information and failing to provide clarity on the incident. The family has demanded access to video footage of the match, details about the medical treatment Guo received before reaching the hospital, and information on his insurance coverage.
Chinese state media outlet Xinhua also reported the post, which included screenshots of phone conversations where repeated requests for information appeared to be ignored. “The family just want to know the truth, why is it so hard?” Guo’s brother wrote.
According to the Beijing FA’s statement, medical staff from both teams rushed onto the field to provide first aid before Guo was airlifted to a neurosurgery hospital. He was later declared “brain dead.” He was transferred back to China for further care last week, but his condition has shown “no improvement,” his brother added.
“We are gradually accepting reality,” he wrote.
Guo Jiaxuan, a promising defender, previously played for Beijing Guoan’s U-19 team and was part of China’s U-17 squad in 2023. He was also included in the FC Bayern World Squad, a talent development program run by Germany’s biggest football club.
