Gaziantepspor’s Czech striker Rajtoral commits suicide by hanging

Frantisek Rajtoral, a Czech footballer playing for Gaziantepspor was found dead in his home, Gaziantep local sources said late Sunday.

According to reports, he committed suicide by hanging.

Club Chairman İbrahim Kızıl said, Rajtoral, on Sunday morning, did not show up for training and did not respond to phone calls. Concerned teammates and club officials went to his residence in the city's Şahinbey district. Finding the door locked, but the lights on, they alerted the police.

Police officers entered the residence and found Rajtoral hanged, said Kızıl.

Initial findings point to an apparent suicide. The police has launched an investigation.

Gaziantepspor captain Elyasa Sume said they lost a loved member of the team.

"There is not much to say. We are absolutely devastated," Sume told reporters.

The news reverberated across the international football community with an outpouring of sympathy from organizations and teams, including Rajtoral's former club Viktoria Plzen.

The team's Twitter account shared a photograph of Rajtoral captioned in Czech, "Franto, we'll miss you. The Viktoria family is mourning."

UEFA, governing body of European football, posted a message on its social media page, saying it was "saddened to hear" Rajtoral's death and extended condolences to the family.

Rajtoral played for Plzen for seven years before moving to Gaziantepspor last August.

"Unfortunately, Rajtoral passed away upon a tragic suicide," Gaziantepspor president İbrahim Kızıl said.

Transferred from Viktoria Plzen, Rajtoral participated in 12 Turkish Super League matches and eight Turkish cup matches.