Italy: the manager of a refugee team investigates the death of his goalkeeper

lassana traorethe coach of the ‘Blue Boys’, an Italian team made up of refugees, investigates the death of his goalkeeper, the Togolese Isakka Coulibaly, died in Milan. he had no home and Authorities say he died of the cold.but the technician denies it.

On November 25 last year, Isakka Coulibaly, without work or home, was found dead by the Milanese authorities in an abandoned building used by the homeless as a refuge to spend the nights near plantaran area of eastern suburbs of Milan.

Italian media have stressed that 27-year-old Isakka Coulibaly’s death was due to the cold. However, his coach doesn’t believe that was the case. “I read the newspapers, but Isakka was a very strong boy. I don’t think he died of cold, he wasn’t so cold in Milan,” he said. EFE extension Lassane Traore.

“It’s not easy to know what happened, I’m looking for information. He was a boy who was very passionate about football, we knew him very well. They put his body in an ambulance and Now I don’t know if his body was sent to Africa. Nor if his family knows, “said Traoré, who learned of the death thanks to another player of the team.

Isakka was one of the first to join the ‘Blue Boys’ in 2018, the year the team was founded. He was also very popular Sant’Ambroeusthe first team of Milanese refugees, with whom he occasionally trained, which was born from the union of players from different teams – including the ‘Blue Boys’ – and which now denounces injustice.

“If Isakka had been allowed to lead a normal life with the newspapers, we most likely would not be writing this post, and he, with a normal life, would perhaps be thinking about how to restart the league after the winter break,” he said. the St.Ambreous on their social networks.

“Isakka died for not having documents, because when you are not allowed to have them you are forced to live and die on the margins of society, without a residence permit, without the possibility of working regularly, without the possibility of renting a house, driving a car or access those basic services that are granted to everyone. Illegality kills”, condemned the Milanese club.

The press release from one of the clubs where he trained

It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Issaka Coulibay, a goalkeeper from a team of friends who has come to train with us on and off over the last few years.

After years on the run, Issaka was found lifeless in an abandoned warehouse in via Corelli, the newspapers speak of natural death from the cold.

There are deaths for which one can only feel enormous pain, there are deaths for which one can only feel great anger.

To freeze to death in a city like Milan cannot simply be classified as a natural death, if Issaka had been allowed to live regularly with documents, it is very probable that it would not be us writing this post, and he, with a normal life, he could be thinking about how to restart the championship after the winter break.

Issaka died in hiding, because when you are not allowed to have documents, you are forced to live and die on the margins of society, without a residence permit, without the possibility of working regularly, without the possibility of renting a house, driving a car or having access to those basic services that are available to everyone.

You were a very strong goalkeeper, we want to remember you like this, in the middle of the posts of the Pini summer tournament that takes your team to the final.

May the earth be light on you. Justice for Issaka and documents for all.

With information from agencies

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