Zaniolo to Wear no.17 in Memory of Galatasaray Fan Killed in Earthquake
Nicolò Zaniolo will wear the number 17 shirt at his new club in honour of Galatasaray fan Muhammed Emin Özkan who died in the recent earthquake, aged just 17.
Zaniolo Shirt Number Tribute to Deceased Fan
Nicolò Zaniolo has completed his move from Roma to Turkish giants Galatasaray and has chosen his new squad number. The Italian's name will sit below the number 17 in honour of young Galatasaray fan Muhammed Emin Özkan. Özkan was one of more than 16,000 people killed as a result of the earthquake and many aftershocks that hit Turkey and Syria earlier this week.
Özkan had made a video welcoming Zaniolo to Galatasaray and posted it to twitter in the days before the natural disaster. Zaniolo saw the video and chose the number 17 in honour of the young fan, who was just 17 years old. The club posted the following video to their social media accounts.
We have signed Nicolò Zaniolo from AS Roma on a permanent deal.
— Galatasaray EN (@Galatasaray) February 9, 2023
Here's his first message to the world with Galatasaray 🖤#WeAreUnited pic.twitter.com/S0zhspIQcr
Galatasaray are undertaking their own efforts to provide aid to those affected by the earthquake, sending supplies to those in need. Zaniolo and his new teammate Dries Mertens were pictured helping club staff with the packing process.
What do you think of the gesture from Zaniolo?
