Disappeared after visiting a club Swiss amateur footballer found dead in Alicante

Carlotta Henggeler

4.2.2025

The Valais amateur footballer Jakov Jelkic was reported missing in Alicante.
The Valais amateur footballer Jakov Jelkic was reported missing in Alicante.
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There has been no trace of Jakov Jelkic since Saturday morning. Now the 24-year-old Swiss footballer has been found dead in the port of Alicante. The police believe it was an accident.

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  • The 24-year-old Swiss amateur footballer Jakov Jelkic was found dead in the port of Alicante after he was reported missing.
  • Police believe it was an accident after he was looking for his jacket in a nightclub and was last seen near his hotel at around 3:30 am.
  • His family only found out about the missing person's report through the police, and his sister has now confirmed his death to the media

The Swiss amateur footballer Jakov Jelkic had been missing since Saturday morning, with various media in Switzerland and abroad reporting on the case. The police investigated and appeals were launched on social media.

The 24-year-old Jelkic was on a trip to the Spanish metropolis with FC Granges-Paccot. After losing his jacket in a nightclub and searching for it, he never turned up. His fellow footballers reported him missing to the police.

Now the family has the sad certainty: Jakov Jelkic is dead, reports "blick.ch". The sister confirmed her brother's death to the newspaper on Tuesday morning.

He was found at the harbor on Monday

Spanish media reported on Monday that the young amateur footballer was found dead in the port of Alicante.

The Spanish national police had tracked down the lifeless 24-year-old. Divers from the Guardia Civil brought the body ashore at 6.30 pm. Investigators assume that his death was an accident.

Family found out about the report from the police

Jakov Jelkic had already been reported missing two days before the current report. His family found out about the missing person's report from Spain from the police. "Jakov is a reliable and helpful person. He listens to everyone and is a decent young man with a solid job. He never had any financial problems," says his sister Janja Jelkic in an interview with Blick. The "Walliser Bote " first reported on the case.

The ambitious footballer played for clubs in Zermatt, St. Niklaus and Naters and completed an apprenticeship at Raiffeisenbank.

Last Friday, the amateur footballer traveled to Spain with his new teammates from FC Granges-Paccot.

He called his parents at 3.30 p.m.: "We've arrived, I'm fine. The hotel is great." In the afternoon, he withdrew 150 euros from an ATM - after which his trail disappears.

Last message to girlfriend: "I'm fine"

Jakov Jelkic's last message to his girlfriend was: "I'm fine."

According to reports, the young man from Valais was partying with his teammates in a nightclub. His sister reports that he lost his jacket there. Together with a friend, he went in search of it - but the two separated for unknown reasons.

At around 3.30 a.m., Jakov was recorded one last time by surveillance cameras near his hotel. Around this time, he sent a reassuring message to his girlfriend. After that, there was radio silence.