A Wijnaldum replacement? (imago Images)
According to The Guardian, former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum has opened up on the abuse directed his way on social media following reversals in a red shirt.
The Dutch international ended his association with the Reds earlier this summer when his contract at Anfield came to an end. He looked to be on his way to Barcelona before French giants Paris Saint-Germain swooped in late to land him.
Now in Paris, the 30-year-old has revealed that he felt underappreciated by those supporting the club. While he has no qualms about the support he received from the club or the fans at Anfield, those commenting on him on social media appear to have gotten to his nerves.
“There was a moment when I didn’t feel loved and appreciated.”
While online abuse is certainly an issue, Wijnalduum’s comments do point at a sense of victimisation or means to justify his exit. The player for his part might have liked to stay on, but FSG were unprepared to offer him the contract he was seeking.
Given that both sides were unwilling to reach a compromise, a parting was always on the cards. While the player is free to choose what is best for him, Wijnaldum’s latest comments appear unwarranted.
One would struggle to find a single player who is not subject to abuse online. Social media for all its perks is also a cesspool of unwarranted opinions that is at best described as vile.
“On social media, if we lost, I was the one who got the blame.”
Emotions in sports run high and there are certainly examples of fans going overboard. But the fact that Wijnaldum is unhappy that he was not subject to universal acclaim is rather presumptuous.
We wish him the best of luck in Paris and hope he enjoyed a better rapport with the ‘online fans’. Knowing football tribalism, however, little is likely to change.
We take a look at how some Liverpool fans reacted to the player’s revelations. Perhaps unsurprisingly, quite of a few of them feel that the comments were rather unnecessary.
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