A youth in a hoodie has assaulted Lionel Messi outside a restaurant located in the soccer star’s hometown of Rosario, Argentina.
After another stellar season that saw him aid Barcelona in winning the UEFA Champions League, Messi was on holiday in Argentina. Upon leaving the restaurant with friends, he was immediately surrounded by fans seeking autographs.
Reports from Argentine media indicate that the assailant was a supporter of Rosario Central, rivals of Newell’s Old Boys, the club Messi played for before making his move to Barcelona a decade ago.
“We’re taking photos, and we see the arm and he dodges it,” a witness recounted to the TV news channel C5N.
“Messi did not react poorly; he walked away and got into the car.”
Messi subsequently downplayed the event, stating, “I wasn’t even touched.”
“I didn’t feel a thing, and I only learned about the fuss afterward; it was nothing,” Messi shared later with the sports daily Ole from Rosario.
by Buford Balony