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Lionel Messi blasted by Egyptian MP over ‘humiliating’ boot donation Lionel Messi blasted by Egyptian MP over ‘humiliating’ boot donation
(5 months later)
Lionel Messi is at the centre of a row in Egypt after a local politician and a football official reacted furiously to the Barcelona player donating a pair of his boots to a charity auction.Lionel Messi is at the centre of a row in Egypt after a local politician and a football official reacted furiously to the Barcelona player donating a pair of his boots to a charity auction.
The MBC Masr channel broadcast an interview last week with Messi on its Yes I am Famous show, during which the Argentina forward, who inspired his side’s win over Chile on Friday, offered to auction the boots.The MBC Masr channel broadcast an interview last week with Messi on its Yes I am Famous show, during which the Argentina forward, who inspired his side’s win over Chile on Friday, offered to auction the boots.
Branding the gesture “humiliating”, the MP and television presenter Said Hasasin, appearing on his own talk show, tore off his shoes and said he would donate them to the poor of Argentina.Branding the gesture “humiliating”, the MP and television presenter Said Hasasin, appearing on his own talk show, tore off his shoes and said he would donate them to the poor of Argentina.
“Whose shoes do you want to sell, Messi? How much do you think it will get? You don’t know that the nail of a baby Egyptian is worth more than your shoes? Keep your shoes to yourself.“Whose shoes do you want to sell, Messi? How much do you think it will get? You don’t know that the nail of a baby Egyptian is worth more than your shoes? Keep your shoes to yourself.
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“Messi, we Egyptians are 90 million people, who have pride, we have shoes. We don’t eat off the money of other peoples’ shoes. I would have understood if he donated his Barcelona uniform to the Egyptians, it’s accepted. But just the shoes?“Messi, we Egyptians are 90 million people, who have pride, we have shoes. We don’t eat off the money of other peoples’ shoes. I would have understood if he donated his Barcelona uniform to the Egyptians, it’s accepted. But just the shoes?
“It’s humiliating to all Egyptians and I do not accept this humiliation. Egyptians may not find food, but they have pride. We Egyptians have never been humiliated before during our seven thousand years of civilisation.”“It’s humiliating to all Egyptians and I do not accept this humiliation. Egyptians may not find food, but they have pride. We Egyptians have never been humiliated before during our seven thousand years of civilisation.”
Azmy Megahed, a spokesman for Egypt’s FA, told Hasasin on his show: “If he [Messi] intends to humiliate us, then I say he’d better put these shoes on his head and on the heads of the people supporting him … Give your shoes to your country, Argentina is full of poverty.”Azmy Megahed, a spokesman for Egypt’s FA, told Hasasin on his show: “If he [Messi] intends to humiliate us, then I say he’d better put these shoes on his head and on the heads of the people supporting him … Give your shoes to your country, Argentina is full of poverty.”
MBC Masr’s Mona El-Sharkawy who interviewed Messi said the gesture had been misinterpreted and that the donation was not for an Egyptian charity.MBC Masr’s Mona El-Sharkawy who interviewed Messi said the gesture had been misinterpreted and that the donation was not for an Egyptian charity.
“This is so false. It’s a trend on our show that we take a souvenier from our guest and put it on auction for charity,” El-Sharkawy told news agency Ahram. “I am surprised, I didn’t say we will be giving it to charity in Egypt or any other place. I don’t know why they said he is presenting it to Egypt. This was never said.”“This is so false. It’s a trend on our show that we take a souvenier from our guest and put it on auction for charity,” El-Sharkawy told news agency Ahram. “I am surprised, I didn’t say we will be giving it to charity in Egypt or any other place. I don’t know why they said he is presenting it to Egypt. This was never said.”
Messi has not commented on the reaction to his donation, but the former Egypt forward Mido wrote on Twitter: “The most precious thing the writer owns is his pen ... and the most precious thing the footballer owns is his shoes. I hope we stop the false accusations.”Messi has not commented on the reaction to his donation, but the former Egypt forward Mido wrote on Twitter: “The most precious thing the writer owns is his pen ... and the most precious thing the footballer owns is his shoes. I hope we stop the false accusations.”