The past fortnight has been a time of immense suffering for the nations of Türkiye and Syria, which were cruelly rocked by the twin earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, bringing untold grief and desolation in their wake.
Day-to-day operations were thrown into disarray and the sports arena was not spared, with teams located in Türkiye's 10 provinces experiencing a massive loss of players and morale, causing a significant number of them to contemplate or confirm their withdrawal from their respective leagues for the rest of the season at the very least.
The international sports world's calendar may have not been subject to schedule changes, but UEFA has confirmed a solemn minute of silence will be held at each of this week's European matches in a show of solidarity and sympathy for the victims of the tragic earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.
The devastating 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes that shook southern Türkiye and northern Syria last Monday have had a devastating effect, with the United Nations aid agency on the ground estimating that the over 41,000 confirmed death toll might as well rise further.
According to reports in Türkiye, over a million people in the country have been driven to seek refuge in temporary shelters as a result of the devastating quakes, while an estimated 5 million people have been displaced in the already war-ravaged Syria.
UEFA has announced an array of poignant tributes to show solidarity and remember those affected by the ongoing global crisis as the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League resume their knockout-stage action this week.
As already evident in Tuesday's PSG-Bayern Munich and AC Milan-Tottenham Hotspur ties, a solemn minute's silence will be observed before every fixture across UEFA's club competitions this week, while a commemorative banner – featuring the heartfelt message, "We are together with you" – will be displayed in both Turkish and Arabic.
On Monday, UEFA, European football's governing body, released a statement confirming that teams and referees had the discretion to wear black armbands as a sign of respect.
Last week, UEFA announced that they would be donating a generous sum of 150,000 euros (approximately $160,000) to the Turkish Football Federation and an additional 50,000 euros to the Bonyan Organization and Tiafi, which are two charitable organizations dedicated to disaster relief.
The reigning Süper Lig champions, Trabzonspor, are the only Turkish club to be featured in UEFA's competitions this week, as they welcome Basel to their home turf for the first leg of their Europa Conference League knockout round playoff tie.
Istanbul Başakşehir and Sivasspor triumphed to the Round of 16 as group victors, while Fenerbahçe achieved the same feat in the Europa League.
It is notable that Hatayspor and Gaziantep, two clubs from the region affected by the devastating earthquake, have chosen to withdraw from the Turkish Super Lig, while other affected clubs are still pondering their future as the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has opened its doors to them.
On the other hand, former Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Everton winger who plays for Hatayspor, Christian Atsu, whose whereabouts remain unknown, has left people with nothing but a glimmer of hope to cling to.
