Mumbai: The statue, which was unveiled last June and induced a large number of fans to grasp a view of the magnificent bronze effigy, again induced many, yet that of media this time.
The statue of celeb footballer Lionel Messi, that used to stand with a strong dignifiable conviction on Paseo de la Gloria (Glory Street), Buenos Aires, failed to guard the Argentine footballer Leo Messi’s icon.
The figure, which was constructed in an attempt to help convince the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to return to the national team during his brief retirement from the Albiceleste this summer, was found missing its top half, according to a report in the Hindustan Times. It was broken in half and the torso, arms and head removed, leaving only the legs and a football on display.
Such kind of attack wasn’t new as Statues in the area have previously been targeted by vandals or thieves. In 2014, Vandals damaged Gabriela Sabatini statue by stealing the racket from Sabatini’s effigy.
Glory Street- is the same area, which also bears casts of other famous Argentine sports stars such as tennis player Gabriela Sabatini and basketball player Manuel Ginobili.
The motive and objective behind such vandalisation is still an obscure subject for officials. However, the city officials have confirmed that the repairs to the statue are already under way.
“The statue of Lionel Messi… was victim of an act of vandalism that left the footballer’s sculpture without its top half,” the Buenos Aires municipal government said in a statement. “The city government is already working on its repair,” HT reported.
Lionel Andrés “Leo” Messi, an Argentine professional footballer, plays as a forward for Spanish club FC Barcelona and captains the Argentina national team. Often considered the best player in the world and rated by many in the sport as the greatest of all time, Messi is the only football player in history to win five FIFA Ballons d’Or, four of which he won consecutively, and the first player to win three European Golden Shoes.