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
According to reports, Real Madrid will invite the young fan who lost five family members in the earthquake in Morocco to join their youth academy and continue his education.
Abdul Rahim Awida caught the attention of social media when he was interviewed in the aftermath of the natural disaster while wearing a Real Madrid shirt.
Speaking to Al-Arabiya, the 14-year-old tearfully described the horror of losing his mother, father, two siblings and his grandfather in the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that killed more than 2,500 people and injured thousands of others in the region.
Images of Awida using his Los Blancos shirt to wipe his tears as he discussed his plans to continue his education despite the tragedy sparked global concern.
And according to the Sun, the club were among those keen to reach out and support the teenager.
Abdul Rahim Awida was interviewed on Al-Arabiya wearing a Real Madrid jersey and his heartbreaking story of losing his family during the earthquake in Morocco quickly went viral
Club president Florentino Perez previously sent out a letter of support for the nation in the aftermath of the disaster
When the interview gained more attention on X (formerly Twitter), Real reportedly contacted the channel, which in turn passed on the contact details of Awida’s uncle.
The Spanish club is said to have offered the boy support and flown him to Spain to join La Fabrica, where he will play football alongside his studies.
In the interview, Awida discusses his desire to fulfill his “father’s dream” and study to become a “doctor or teacher,” but he seemed saddened at the thought of continuing.
Real Madrid are among the clubs that have paid tribute to the victims of the disaster, issuing an official statement underlining their “deepest concern” for those affected.
The statement read: ‘Real Madrid CF, its President and its 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 as he described his plans for the future without his family.
The quake is the worst the country has seen in more than 120 years and the death toll in rural areas is expected to rise.
‘Our club expresses its condolences to the families of the deceased and to all Moroccans.
‘We also wish the injured a speedy recovery and transfer all 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 late last week.
The earthquake is the largest to hit the African country in more than 120 years, and the United States Geological Survey warned in the aftermath of the quake that the death toll was likely to rise significantly due to feverish rural infrastructure.
