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Lionel Messi: Barcelona star’s vandalised statue damage fully revealed as he trains with team-mates

These shocking pictures reveal the full extent of the damage caused as Barcelona star remains focused at training

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THESE shocking pictures reveal the full extent of the damage caused to Lionel Messi’s vandalised statue in Argentina.

The Barcelona hero was honoured with a metal monument back in June last year – around the same time he announced his retirement from international duty.

These pictures show the true extent of the damage caused to Lionel Messi's statue
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These pictures show the true extent of the damage caused to Lionel Messi's statueCredit: Reuters

And after seeing Cristiano Ronaldo scoop the Ballon d’Or as well as Fifa’s newest award, some disgruntled fans took their fury out on Messi’s likeness.

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In a bizarre attack, the top half of the statue has been completely removed – leaving just Messi’s legs and a football.
It has now been taken away as authorities decide how to progress, but that did not stop the talismanic forward from getting involved at training with his Barca team-mates on Tuesday.
People walk past the damaged metal monument
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People walk past the damaged metal monumentCredit: Reuters
The statue has now been taken away to be fixed
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The statue has now been taken away to be fixedCredit: AP:Associated Press

The Catalan giants are struggling for form this season and are now third in the table behind Sevilla, with unbeaten rivals Real Madrid leading the title race.

Barca face Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday in the second leg of their Copa del Rey Round of 16 clash and the pressure is on Messi to help deliver a result.

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Messi kept a low profile at Barcelona training
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Messi kept a low profile at Barcelona trainingCredit: Reuters
The Spaniards are looking to bounce back against Athletic Bilbao on Wednesday
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The Spaniards are looking to bounce back against Athletic Bilbao on WednesdayCredit: Reuters

Luis Enrique’s men crashed to a shock 2-1 defeat in the first leg and know nothing less than a win will be acceptable for their supporters.

A tough Champions League last-16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain also awaits next month, and Messi will have to be at the peak of his powers to guarantee a trophy next summer.

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