According to rumours, Real Madrid will extend an invitation to a young supporter who lost five family members in the Moroccan earthquake to enroll in their youth academy and continue his studies.
When Abdul Rahim Awida, sporting a Real Madrid jersey, was interviewed following the natural disaster, it garnered social media attention.
The 14-year-old spoke to Al-Arabiya while sobbing as he recalled the anguish of losing his mother, father, two brothers, and grandfather in the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that has left over 2,500 people dead and many more injured in the area.
Images of Awida sobbing while talking about his desire to continue his study despite the tragedy and dabbing his eyes with his Los Blancos shirt caused outrage throughout the world.
The group was among many eager to connect with and support the teen, according to the Sun.
When Abdul Rahim Awida, wearing a Real Madrid jersey, was interviewed on Al-Arabiya, his devastating account of losing his family in the Moroccan earthquake soon went viral.
Prior to the accident, club president Florentino Perez sent a letter of support to the country.
Real are believed to have contacted the station when the interview gained popularity on X (formerly Twitter), and the station in turn forwarded the contact information of Awida’s uncle.
The child is believed to have received backing from the Spanish club and been flown to Spain to join La Fabrica, where he would play football while also attending school.
In the interview, Awida expresses his desire to pursue his “father’s dream” and pursue a career as a teacher or doctor, but he also exhibits anguish at the idea of going on.
In an official statement emphasizing their ‘deepest sorrow’ for those impacted, Real Madrid, among other clubs, paid tribute to the disaster’s victims.
The following was stated in the statement: “Real Madrid C.F., its president, and Board of Directors express their sincere sympathy and support for the victims of the terrible earthquake in Morocco.
When speaking about his aspirations for the future without his family, the 14-year-old took a break from the interview to wipe away his tears on his Real Madrid shirt.
The tremor was the worst the nation has seen in more than 120 years, and more people are anticipated to die in rural areas.
“Our club sends its condolences to the departed’s families as well as to all Moroccans.”
Likewise, we send all of our strength and love to the injured and wish them a quick recovery.
After the earthquake at the end of last week, Moroccan internationals like Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain and Sofyan Amrabat of Manchester United also left encouraging comments on social media.
The United States Geological Survey issued a warning following the tremor that the death toll was expected to climb dramatically due to weak rural infrastructure. The earthquake is the largest to have struck the African nation in more than 120 years.
