Lionel Messi got off the mark for PSG with a typically spectacular goal against Champions League rivals Manchester City, but there was another image from Tuesday night which fans say summed up the Argentine icon.
Messi swept home a superb left-footed strike from the edge of the box in the 74th minute at the Parc des Princes after charging up the pitch and exchanging passes with Kylian Mbappe.
The crowd exploded at the sight of the six-time Ballon d’Or winner bagging a first goal in PSG colors, and in a fashion seen so many times before during Messi’s days at Barcelona.
JUST LISTEN TO THE ROAR THAT COULD BE HEARD ALL OVER PARIS
Notice how Messi instantly points to Mbappé who provided the brilliant assist pic.twitter.com/aa5n6FAtaq
But while the goal summed up Messi’s enduring brilliance – also putting PSG out of sight at 2-0 up in the match – there was another image which fans pointed to as showcasing the Argentine’s humble genius.
As the visitors lined up a free-kick towards the PSG goal in injury time, Messi was seen lying on the ground behind his team’s wall, adopting a position that has become fashionable in recent years as a way of stopping shots sneaking in under the wall.
It was an unusual sight to see Messi stretched across on the Parc des Princes turf, and fans and pundits reacted by claiming it encapsulated the 34-year-old’s willingness to do the dirty work for his team.
“Humility is what makes greatness,” wrote one fan.
“Here’s the greatest footballer of all time rejecting the chance to wear his friend’s number 10 and is wearing jersey number 30 and now he’s lying on the ground to defend PSG’s lead! That’s what legends are made of!”
Referee: Why are You lying down? Messi: Do you have any problem? Referee: But you are a GOAT. Messi: Team first pic.twitter.com/bQA22m4ez4
Some joked that Messi was simply hiding from PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino in order not to be substituted, after their tense exchange when the star was taken off in a league game against Lyon earlier this month.
Elsewhere, former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand said he would be happy to lie down in place of Messi, claiming it was “disrespectful” to make the icon get his kit dirty.
“The moment Mauricio Pochettino asked him to do that at the training ground, someone should’ve gone in there and said, ‘No, no, no, no, no, no,’” Ferdinand said on BT Sport.
“This doesn’t happen to Leo Messi. It’s disrespectful, I wouldn’t have it.
“If I was in that team, I’d have to say, ‘Listen, I’ll lay down for you.’
“Sorry, I couldn’t have him laying down like that. I can’t see it.
“He don’t get his kit dirty, that’s not what Messi does.”
Although the behind-the-wall blocking tactic has been around for some time, fans claimed that Messi’s own free-kick threat was part of the reason why teams often adopted it as an extra line of defence.
How ironic Messi he's one of the reasons why free kicks are defended like this. pic.twitter.com/s4u2S3DLIs
And of course, comparisons with Messi’s perennial rival Ronaldo were unavoidable, with some fans claiming the Manchester United star would never do the same for his team (even though Ronaldo tends to be among those standing in the wall due to his 6ft 1in frame).
The Portugal icon’s infamously poor attempt at defending a free-kick for Juventus against Porto last season was also dragged up.
Jokes aside this really shows how humble Lionel Messi is and how he’s willing to do anything to help his team…I just can’t imagine Cristiano Ronaldo doing this pic.twitter.com/Y9q5A8xLzj
NBA legend LeBron James has revealed that he decided to have a vaccine after being convinced by his own research, although the social justice warrior will not be using his considerable voice to encourage people to take jabs.
Superstar James is frequently outspoken about major issues, including the Black Lives Matter movement which he passionately supports in the US and accusations of police brutality, becoming involved in controversial exchanges following the killing of Ma’Khia Bryant earlier this year.
The LA Lakers talisman is clearly relucant to encourage people to follow his lead on vaccines, though, despite opting for his family to receive the treatment following his personal investigations.
“I don’t talk about other people and what they should do,” the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player claimed, responding at a media day after he was asked whether he should use his ‘stature’ to influence people to take a vaccine.
LeBron said that at first he was skeptical of the vaccine, but did his research, and decided to get vaccinated, and have his family get vaccinated.
“I can speak for myself and I think everybody has their own choice to do what is right for them, for their family.
“I know that I was very skeptical about it all, but after doing my research and things of that nature, I felt that it was best suited for my family and friends. That’s why I decided to do it.
“When I talk about something that’s political or racism or police brutality… [vaccination is] about people’s bodies and wellbeing. I don’t feel like, personally, I should get into what other people should do for their bodies and livelihoods.”
LeBron James on the Lakers roster expected to be deemed fully vaccinated by opening night: “We’re excited we gave ourselves another opportunity to be available for each other”
Vaccination has been a contentious issue in many sports, altough 90% of NBA players have reportedly been vaccinated ahead of the the start of the new season on October 19.
Players and coaches have been released from sports teams as a result of being reluctant to become vaccinated, and high-profile athletes have voiced their reservations about the prospect of jabs being made compulsory in order to compete.
Health chiefs behind vaccination campaigns have found key allies with huge reaches in icons such as Neymar, the Brazil and Paris Saint-Germain striker who is the world’s most expensive footballer.
Neymar said he hoped the “whole world may be vaccinated” when he shared footage of himself being jabbed with his social media following of hundreds of millions of accounts.
James is not likely to be following that path any time soon. “You have to do what’s best for your family,” he said.
“I know what I did for me and my family; I know some of my friends and what they did for their families. As far as speaking for people and their individualities, it’s not my job.”
The two-dose Pfizer jab became the first vaccine to be fully approved by the American Food and Drug Administration last month, and data has now been submitted for its endorsed use in young children.
Speaking at the time, Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock called the move a “milestone” that would make the public “very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product.”
“While millions of people have already safely received Covid-19 vaccines, we recognize that, for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated,” she added.
“Today’s milestone puts us one step closer to altering the course of this pandemic in the US.”
A “very good” 22-year-old Russian athlete is on the brink of competing for Ukraine, the president of the country’s biathlon federation has reportedly revealed.
Biathlon supremo Volodymyr Brynzak is said to have initially played down talk of Daria Sidorova, a promising athlete from the Tyumen region in Siberia, making a transition to represent Ukraine after she was spotted training alongside the national team.
Sidorova reportedly took part in the recent Ukrainian championships as a representative of the country’s Transcarpathian region, with Brynzak appearing to confirm that arrangements are in place to formalize her switch.
“We are now waiting for a presidential decree on her citizenship,” Brynzak was quoted as saying by Suspilne.
“As soon as there is a decree and she receives a passport, she will enter Kiev State University and, hopefully, will perform at the Universiade in December this year.
“She will gradually adapt to Ukraine and try to get into the team next year to train in the new Olympic cycle.”
Brynzak said he sees promise in the newcomer. “She is a very good and young athlete with potential,” he said. “I think she will help us.”
The outlet suggested that Sidorova will be subject to a two-year ‘quarantine’ for athletes wishing to switch country, and that the period could have been considered to have started from when she last represented Russia, in January 2020 – leaving the starlet with a matter of months before she can potentially turn out for Ukraine under purported International Biathlon Union rules.
Speaking to Suspilne in May, Brynzak said that she had started training in Ukraine on the guidance of her late former coach, Roman Zubrilov.
“He really wanted her to be here, to play,” he explained. “I negotiated with Ukrainian coaches – it was his initiative. After he died, she really wanted to move here and train the way he wanted. It started more than a year ago.
“In order for her to be able to [compete] and get citizenship, she needs to train, play in the Ukrainian championship, get into the team and then, perhaps, [perform] for Ukraine.
“But this requires a long [process] and [we are] still only at the beginning. There is no topic at all to talk about.”
Sidorova is said to have finished in the top 20 of the IBU Junior Cup in the 2019/20 season and failed to qualify for the World Cup in the 2020/21 season, as well as coming fourth in the relay race at the Russian championship in the Tyumen region in March.
Five ex-Russian athletes are reportedly in the current Ukraine team, with another offered the chance in 2020 before joining Romania.
Polarizing UFC superstar Conor McGregor has divided opinion on social media yet again. Out in Miami, where he received the ‘Key to the City’, the star also uploaded a photo and video of himself getting a shoeshine.
Continuing to recover from a leg break suffered in his last outing in the octagon – a first round doctor stoppage loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 – the Irishman has spent time in numerous big US destinations this year.
In Los Angeles over the summer, he headed to Chicago last week where his exploits throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at Wrigley Field for a Cubs baseball game were widely mocked.
Putting that episode behind him, the 33-year-old has ventured south to the Sunshine State of Florida and its largest metropolis of Miami, where he enjoyed quality family time in a nice restaurant for “Sunday dinner” while also showing off a luxury timepiece.
Yet it is the last two slides of the post shared with his 42 million followers on Instagram that have caused the biggest stir.
Posing for one photo of the act, the snap is followed by a video of McGregor dressed up to the nines with a cane and receiving a shoe shine from a man on the streets of the Magic City.
The clips prompted uproar in some quarters, with observers accusing McGregor of unnecessarily uploading the clip.
“An embarrassing video – wrong in so many ways,” balked one critic.
“That video is disrespectful. How are there still people cleaning shoes? And especially in America,” claimed someone else.
“Something so Victorian about that. Why film it?” another party asked, and said McGregor was akin to “the guy that won the lottery and can’t keep it classy or quiet.”
Another comment from that line of thought came in the form of: “Hurry, record me giving money to someone so it looks like I’m a good person.”
Not everyone was so up in arms, however, pointing to the fact that McGregor “made the shoeshiner’s night” with his $100 offering.
“A good family outing filling up the bellies followed by a polished shoe shine with a grateful tip. That’s first class,” claimed one supporter.
“I was never a Conor fan but what he did is acceptable, paying money for people’s service is just normal,” started off one unoffended individual.
“Why are you all saying it’s disrespectful? It’s that man’s job and [there’s] nothing wrong with that. If he recorded while he ordered food and there was a waiter and he tipped $100, you wouldn’t all be saying that. And that man is fine when seeing the camera.”
“If this guy was white you wouldn’t raise so much of a stink about it,” it was said to the naysayers.
Yesterday, McGregor took to the same platform to post a photo of mayor Francis Suarez giving him freedom to his Latino-dominated hub.
“The Mac with The Key to The City of Miami!” began his caption.
“Thank you Mayor Suarez for bestowing this great honor upon me and with my family present to witness. A very proud moment for me in my life.
“Thank you! Your hospitality and care for my family and team will be forever remembered. God Bless you and this great city! May the spirit of Miami live within us all,” McGregor finished.
An amateur football clash in the Russian North Caucasus concluded in a mass brawl as furious players attacked match officials, resulting in a spate of lengthy bans being handed out to the perpetrators.
Meeting earlier this month in the lower leagues of the Russian Southern Federal District/North Caucasus Federal District, the top-of-the-table contest between Energetik of Prokhladny and Angusht of Nazran witnessed mass violence from players and fans at the end of a 2-1 victory for the home team.
According to reports, serious trouble began brewing in the 88th minute when referee Sergey Smirnov awarded Energetik a free-kick.
Angusht’s Bekkhan Aliyev vented his fury with a tirade of abuse at the official, for which he was given his marching orders.
Leaving the field, Aliyev is said to thrown a bandage removed from his hand at the assistant referee.
Not done there, the match saw even more explosive scenes after the final whistle.
Officials were surrounded by Angusht players who started to attack them after a short verbal exchange.
Angusht number 4 Magomed Balayev is said to have hit the referee twice in the face, while teammate Ruslan Zyazikov reportedly launched a series of kicks and punches.
Meanwhile, the dismissed Aliyev allegedly knocked assistant referee Vitaly Naumov to the ground before violently kicking him after he had stumbled back to his feet.
The carnage was captured on camera and showed mass chaos engulfing the pitch as players, staff and fans clashed.
Police had initially appeared to quell the unrest although Angusht substitute Safarbek Markhiev sparked more conflict with the rival team, prompting an all-out brawl to break out.
The local football union has moved swiftly to punish those behind the unsavory scenes, hitting Aliyev with a two-year ban while teammates Balayev and Zyazikov each received a one-year suspension.
Elsewhere, Angushta’s Markhiev and Energetik players Alan Aslanuko and Artem Orsayev will all be forced to sit out six matches for their roles in the melee.
In addition, Energetik were fined 10,000 rubles for the participation of their fans in the brawl, with the home team being hit with a two-game stadium ban.
As of September 28, Energetik stand top of the division with 13 wins from their 16 games, five points ahead of Angusht.
