Family of footballer, 18, killed during training accident accuse Chinese officials of HIDING crucial video footage of tragedy – after claiming they failed to buy sports insurance

The family of the promising Chinese footballer killed following a training accident have accused officials of hiding video footage of the incident. 

Guo Jiaxuan, a former Bayern Munich youth star, died on Thursday after succumbing to the head injuries suffered when struck in the face by a knee during a training camp last month in Spain.

The 18-year-old’s family resisted doctors’ suggestion to turn off his life support and perform an autopsy and instead sought for him to be repatriated to China for further treatment. However, Guo Jiaxuan was unable to recover and passed away in Beijing just hours before his 19th birthday.

Following his tragic death, Guo Jiaxuan brother, Guo Jiayi, hit out at football officials and criticised a number of their statements. He had previously accused Guo Jiaxuan club, Beijing Guoan, and the Beijing Football Association, who organised the camp, of failing to cover the medical bills and queried whether insurance cover was in place.

Guo Jiayi told The South China Morning Post that ‘numerous’ attempts to receive video footage of the incident had been ignored by the association. Additionally, he claimed that no one from the BFA or Guoan returned to see his brother after he was first visited on his arrival from Madrid but they ‘arrived very quickly’ after he had died. 

‘[On Wednesday], the Tiantan Hospital Neurosurgery Centre informed us that Jiaxuan was in a critical condition and [they] were unable to treat him,’ Guo Jiayi wrote on social media. 

Guo Jiaxuan’s brother shared a social media post of the teenager in a Spanish hospital

‘The message we received was a phone call from a member of staff notifying my dad that [Guo’s] blood pressure was low.

‘I received a call from my mum at 8pm, she was crying and saying Jiaxuan [had died]. By the time I reached the hospital, Jiaxuan had already been transferred to the morgue.’

Guo Jiaxuan had previously represented the Chinese national team at under-17 level and had been invited to train with Bayern Munich in 2023.

The footballer had become part of Bayern Munich’s World Squad, an international project by the German giants aimed at developing promising players from around the world.

He had been playing in a training match against Spanish side RC Alcobendas when he suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage – a form of stroke caused by bleeding on the brain – following the accidental collision. Doctors in Madrid then diagnosed Guo Jiaxuan with ‘brain death’. 

The BFA expressed their ‘deep sadness’ in a statement following the youngster’s death and hailed him as an ‘outstanding player’. 

‘We have made every effort to coordinate medical resources for treatment and meet the needs of his family as much as possible,’ said the statement. ‘After coordination with the Spanish side, we have obtained the training match video, notarised the entire process, and organised experts to analyse it.’

German giants Bayern Munich also paid tribute to Guo Jiaxuan after news of his death was confirmed on Thursday. The club said their thoughts were with his family and friends. 

The 18-year-old had been playing in a training match against Spanish side RC Alcobendas when he suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage

His family resisted doctor’s suggestion to turn off his life support and perform an autopsy and instead sought for him to be repatriated to China for further treatment

‘FC Bayern is mourning the passing of Guo Jiaxuan, the former World Squad player who has died at the age of 18 in his native China,’ the club statement began. ‘He succumbed to the effects of a serious head injury following a tragic accident during a training match in Spain on 6 February. The club’s thoughts are with his family and friends.

‘The centre-back was part of the FC Bayern World Squad in 2023, which gives talented players from all over the world the chance to showcase themselves for professional football. Jiaxuan was also part of China’s youth national teams.’

This week, Guo Jiayi reiterated his claim that the medical insurance the club had taken out would not cover the medical costs of his brother’s care. 

The South China Morning Post reported last month that the BFA had not provided proof that insurance was taken out and had delayed releasing information about ‘the rescue process within the team after the incident, as well as the process of being sent to the hospital’.