Teenage footballer signs first professional contract just months after surviving fatal Swiss bar fire

French footballer Tahirys Dos Santos has signed his first professional contract with Ligue 1 side Metz, less than four months after miraculously surviving a devastating bar fire in Switzerland that left him severely burned and claimed dozens of lives. The 19-year-old defender’s one-year deal was announced by the club on Monday, nine days after his return to play for their reserves team. Dos Santos sustained severe burns to his back, face, hands, and arms in the inferno at a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana on New Year’s Day.

The blaze tragically killed 41 people and injured more than 100. He subsequently underwent a skin graft as part of his recovery. "This moment has an even more special meaning after the difficult months I went through in the hospital," Dos Santos said in a club statement.

"This test made me stronger and taught me to never give up. " The French teenager, who has family ties to Cape Verde, joined his local club Metz at the age of eight. His return to action on 11 April marked his first appearance in the French fifth-tier division.

His survival story is particularly harrowing. While he could have escaped the rapidly spreading fire, Dos Santos bravely turned back to rescue his girlfriend, Coline, from the restroom. The bar fire killed 41 people and injured more than 100 (AFP/Getty) "I didn’t think — I turned back to get her," he told L’Equipe newspaper earlier this year.