A French footballer has revealed his true feelings towards Lionel Messi, saying he "is a big loser... I loved him so much, now I hate him so much".
Former LOSC Lille left-back Julian Palmieri has taken to social media to express what seems to be a strong hatred towards the Argentine who, according to the Frenchman, has shown his true colours since winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
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While the four-time UEFA Champions League winner was recently involved in some heated confrontations during the most recent international break, it is unclear what exactly triggered Palmieri to open up about his seemingly new-found hatred towards the Inter Miami star after previously loving him "so much".
"I hesitated so much for years between CR7 and Messi. Messi, thank you for finally being you since this World Cup: a big loser who has a melon [head] triple that of Mbappe," Palmieri wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), loosely translated to English.
"I loved this player so much that now I hate him so much."
J ai tellement hésité pendant des années...entre CR7 et Messi.Messi merci d être enfin toi depuis cette coupe du monde un gros tocard qui a un melon du triple de celui de Mbappé...J aimais tellement ce joueur que maintenant je le déteste autant.
— ???????????? ???????????????? (@jpalmieri_15) November 22, 2023
Messi was recently in the spotlight for actions that would not usually be associated with him.
It may have come as a shock to some when the former FC Barcelona star was seen putting his hand around the throat of opposition defender Mathias Olivera during Argentina's 2-0 defeat to Uruguay in a 2026 FIFA World Cup CONMEBOL qualifier last week.
The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner had intervened during a verbal altercation between Olivera and Argentina's Rodrigo De Paul, charging towards the Uruguay defender and putting his arm against his chest.
After the game, Messi did not reveal what triggered his reaction but said that "these young people have to learn to respect from their elders".
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He was caught up in another verbal spat this week during the Albiceleste's hot-tempered 1-0 win over Brazil, this time with Selecao and Real Madrid winger Rodrygo Goes.
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