The fabric of certain subsets of sports culture is a difficult puzzle to assemble from the outside.
For many, the segment of Argentina sports fans who think Lionel Messi left their nation too early has been one of these groups.
For one thing, Messi’s move helped turned him into the best player in the world. For another, just read that first part in a different tone of voice.
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Messi has had some troubles carrying Argentina on his back in international play, and that’s compounded his reputation with fans, who have seen another of the all-time greats push Argentina over the line largely on his own (Diego Maradona, if it must be said).
That’s a long lead-in to this story, in which Messi’s statue in Buenos Aires has been chopped off at the ankles. It’s the second time it’s been vandalized, standing in park with statues of Manu Ginobili amongst other Argentine sports stars.
Destrozaron la estatua de Messi en Costanera Sur https://t.co/t0ZvbT9bF5
— Telefe Noticias (@telefenoticias) December 3, 2017
It’s certainly not the only Messi statue, so the vandals have more work to do.
Imagine being that angry.