Footballer, 18, who was part of special Bayern Munich squad tragically left brain dead after knee to head in match

A FORMER Bayern Munich youth star has been left brain dead at the age of 18, according to his brother.

Defender Guo Jiaxuan was reportedly struck in the face by a knee during a training match in Spain last Thursday.

Guo had been playing in a game against Spanish side RC Alcobendas at a camp organised by the Beijing Football Association.

Guo, an academy recruit of Chinese Super League (CSL) club Beijing Guoan, represented Bayern's World Squad in 2023.

His brother tragically revealed on social media that Guo had suffered a subarachnoid haemorrhage following an accidental collision.

The haemorrhage took the form of a stroke caused by bleeding on the brain.

His sibling wrote on Chinese platform RedNote : "During training, he was rushed to hospital after being hit in the head by another player’s knee.

"From the interpreter, I learned that the doctor at the hospital said my brother had too much bleeding in his head and that there was little hope of survival.

"The hospital was going to remove his life support tubes."

The post said that a Spanish doctor told the family that Guo was at one stage clinically dead as a result of a lack of oxygen in his brain.

Guo's father arrived in Spain on Saturday and reportedly refused the doctor's suggestion to turn off his son's life support.

His family are seeking to bring him back to China for further treatment.

A staff member from the Beijing FA noted that "they are fully committed to ensuring his treatment."

Following the match last week, RC Alcobendas offered a message of support for Guo and his family.

A club statement read: "We want to express our deep concern for the player from the Beijing FA delegation who suffered an accident during the friendly match played this morning against our first team.

"We send all our support to him, his family and his team at this difficult time. We sincerely wish your speedy recovery."

Guo was the only Chinese player selected for Bayern's World Squad two years ago.

The squad was part of an international project by the German giants aimed at developing promising players from around the world.

The talented footballer was born in Beijing in 2006 and has represented China's under-17s.