Frantisek Rajtoral dead: Former Czech Republic international found hanged after killing himself, aged 31
Turkish club Gaziantepspor reported Rajtoral missing after he failed to turn up for training on Sunday
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Your support makes all the difference.Former Czech Republic international football Frantisek Rajtoral has died, aged 31.
Rajtoral was found by Turkish police hanged at his home in an apparent suicide after his club, Gaziantepspor, reported him missing on Sunday.
The club’s president, Ibrahim Kizil, confirmed to Turkish media that the defender had killed himself.
"Unfortunately I can confirm that the news of suicide is true," Kizil told Turkish media outlet Sporx.
"His team-mates were concerned after Rajtoral didn't participate in today's training session.
"He had good spirits, he didn't seem to have any problem. I really don't know why he did such a thing."
Rajtoral represented the Czech Republic 14 times and was part of the Euro 2012 squad that reached the quarter-finals of the tournament five years ago.
He spent seven years with Czech side Viktoria Plzen, winning the league twice, before moving on to Gaziantepspor in the Turkish top flight in 2016.
The Czech Football Association released a statement on Monday to express its "deepest condolences to all his relatives", while Plzen also paid tribute to their former footballer with a short statement that read: "Rest in peace Rajt, we will all miss you so much, we will never forget you."
Born in Pribram on the Litavka River, Rajtoral made his professional breakthrough with his hometown side of Marila Pribram in 2004 before moving a year later to join Banik Ostrava where he spent four years and made 100 appearances.
In 2009, Rajtoral joined Plzen and went on to make 168 league appearances for the Czech side, and also spent half a season on loan with German Bundesliga side Hannover in 2014 before moving to Turkey in 2016 to join Gaziantepspor.
He made his Czech Republic debut in 2012 and secured a place in the national squad for the European Championships later that year, although he had not played for his country since receiving his 14th cap in 2014.