3 shirt numbers that were retired by clubs after the death of a player

French club Nantes have decided to retire Sala's number 9 jersey
French club Nantes have decided to retire Sala's number 9 jersey

#2 Cheick Tiote (24, Beijing Enterprise Group FC)

Cheik Tiote immortalized himself with an equaliser in a 4-4 draw against Arsenal
Cheik Tiote immortalized himself with an equaliser in a 4-4 draw against Arsenal

Cheick Tiote was the hero for Newcastle when he scored the equalizing goal in the historic four all draw vs Arsenal at St James' Park. Unfortunately, in an incident that shook the world, 30-year-old collapsed while training for Beijing Enterprise Group FC.

Tiote was rushed to the nearby hospital, but it was too late as he was declared dead on his arrival. The doctors later revealed that cardiac arrest was the reason behind his sudden death.

After the incident, China's League One club the Beijing Enterprise Group FC (BG) retired the number 24 on June 24, 2017, to commemorate Cote d'Ivoire star Cheick Tiote. A retiring ceremony was held by the Beijing based club during the half time of BG's match vs Zhejiang Yiteng.

A no-nonsense midfield enforcer, Tiote was linked with some of Europe's biggest clubs during his spell at Tyneside. He made 139 appearances for Newcastle in 7 seasons.

Quick Links