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After Calling Lionel Messi the ‘GOAT’, Fans’ Fury Forces $8,540,000 Star to Make Quick U-Turn in Minutes

Published 09/23/2023, 7:56 AM EDT

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Lionel Messi is a name that is synonymous with his excellence in soccer. The Argentinian superstar has captured the hearts of fans worldwide with his remarkable soccer prowess. It also earned him the prestigious title of “GOAT” (Greatest of All Time) from countless admirers. But who would have thought that calling him with such an acronym would bring uninvited trouble? Well, an $8.54 million star found himself entangled in a similar situation, forcing him to make a U-turn.

While Messi may be the undisputed GOAT for many, a few have reservations about their own preferred legends in the sporting pantheon.

Calling Lionel Messi a ‘GOAT’ brought uninvited trouble for $8.54 million-rated star

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Aside from the typical fans, there are times when rival players hail their favorite stars. Italian superstar Lorenzo Insigne also wanted to express his admiration for the Inter Miami star. However, that didn’t end well for him, as his actions made the fans of his former club, Napoli, very angry. This came after the forward recently faced Messi and Inter Miami with his side, Toronto FC.

It was the match that Messi couldn’t complete after he was subbed off. Yet, in his absence, Miami won 4-0. Interestingly, after the match, Insigne came across a photo in which he was battling for the ball with Messi and shared it on his Instagram story. Aside from this, he also wrote a caption. As translated by DeepL, it said, “With the best in history.” Along with this, he also added a ‘goat’ emoji.

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These five words and a goat emoji were enough to stir up unexpected trouble. Well, his social media activity provoked the anger of Napoli fans. Apparently, it angered them because Napoli’s fanbase believes that this label exclusively belongs to their club legend, Diego Armando Maradona. Hence, this led all the Napoli fans to criticize Insigne, who considered it a “betrayal” by their former captain. Eventually, this forced the soccer star to make a U-turn and express his apology.

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A quick U-turn from Lorenzo Insigne

After receiving a lot of criticism from Napoli fans and through various social networks, Insigne was forced to apologize to all the Neapolitans. The 5’3 striker quickly posted another story by adding a graphic of Maradona and giving clarification to the fans. As translated by DeepL, he wrote, “There are some faiths that go beyond the soccer played, Maradona is engraved in the heart and skin of all of us Neapolitans,” the Toronto star said.

“It was not my intention to make any kind of comparison. My only D10S is and will always be Diego Armando Maradona,” he concluded. Insigne insisted he wasn’t trying to settle any kind of debate or draw any comparisons. Nevertheless, Napoli fans would have forgiven their former star.

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Watch this story: Soccer Stars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo Make a Huge Assist for Esports Space

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Written by:

Abhishek Mishra

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Abhishek Mishra is a soccer writer at EssentiallySports. Abhishek's love for soccer began during his childhood days when he spent most of his time playing and watching the sport. His early exposure to soccer earned him many accolades at district and zonal levels, making him a true sports enthusiast.
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Edited by:

Nidhi