Atlético Madrid captain withdraws from Manchester United Champions League game after mom’s death

October 13, 2026 · by SPW Pipeline

Atlético Madrid captain Koke’s mom, Ana Merodio Borja, tragically died on Tuesday -Credit:SOPA Images, SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Atlético Madrid captain Koke has withdrawn from his side’s UEFA Champions League match against Manchester United following the passing of his mother. Ana Merodio Borja died in the early hours of Tuesday in Madrid, the Spanish club confirmed.

Atlético will don black armbands for the match against the Premier League side, and a moment of silence will be observed at the Metropolitano Stadium prior to kick-off.

Koke, whose full name is Jorge Resurrección, is joined at Atlético by his brother Borja, who serves as assistant coach of the La Liga giants’ under-19 squad.

Koke’s mother passed away on Tuesday -Credit:@koke6/Instagram

A moment of silence was held before their UEFA Youth League fixture against United, with Atlético claiming a 3-0 victory.

Manchester United expressed their condolences on social media, via The Mirror: "Manchester United is saddened by the passing of Ana Merodio Borja, beloved mother of Atlético de Madrid captain Koke and U19s assistant coach Borja Resurrección.

"We offer our condolences to the family at this difficult time and invite supporters to join the two teams in a minute’s silence ahead of kick-off tonight."

United will be seeking a positive result in the Champions League, having endured their worst start to a top-flight season in 40 years under Michael Carrick. The Red Devils have accumulated just six points from as many Premier League outings.

To listen to the latest episode of ‘All Out Soccer’ – CLICK HERE

Carrick guided his squad to a much-needed win in their opening European fixture of the season as they beat Sabah 4-0 at Old Trafford. The Premier League club had previously beaten their Spanish opponents this past preseason, securing a 2-1 win with Bryan Mbeumo netting twice after falling behind early.

United will be without Luke Shaw and Kobbie Mainoo for the encounter following injuries sustained against Tottenham Hotspur. The pair have remained in England, though Dutch center-back Matthijs de Ligt has traveled after nearly a year on the sidelines.

"We’re not light on numbers, no," said Carrick. "Of course, we’ve got a couple of issues with some players missing out, but we’re definitely not light on numbers. It’s good for Dan [Armer] to be part of it and for younger players to sample it, the build-up to the game, and get a sense of it.

"It’s good to have Matta in and around it. We’ve had a little bit of patience with him, working through that and working hard to get to this stage. He’s had a long journey so we’re delighted to have him back."

Source: sports.yahoo.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.

Stocks in this story

ManchesterMANU

$21.07

+3.13%