Yahoo News Fans furious after Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo post identically worded Kobe Bryant tributes on Twitter
Sports fans have been left angered after Twitter accounts belonging to Portuguese footballers Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo posted identical tribute messages to the late Kobe Bryant.
LA Lakers legend Bryant was one of nine people killed in a helicopter crash in California on Sunday, with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, also on board.
Later that evening, Juventus star Ronaldo joined fans and sportspeople from around the world in paying homage to the 41-year-old, widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
In a tweet accompanied by a black and white photo of Bryant holding a basketball, Ronaldo wrote: “So sad to hear the heartbreaking news of the deaths of Kobe and his daughter Gianna. Kobe was a true legend and inspiration to so many. Sending my condolences to his family and friends and the families of all who lost their lives in the crash. RIP Legend.”
In the early hours of Monday morning, Figo posted an identical message, albeit with a different picture attacked, showing him with Bryant.
So sad to hear the heartbreaking news of the deaths of Kobe and his daughter Gianna. Kobe was a true legend and inspiration to so many. Sending my condolences to his family and friends and the families of all who lost their lives in the crash. RIP Legend💔 pic.twitter.com/qKb3oiDHxH
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano)
So sad to hear the heartbreaking news of the deaths of Kobe and his daughter Gianna. Kobe was a true legend and inspiration to so many. Sending my condolences to his family and friends and the families of all who lost their lives in the crash. RIP Legend💔 pic.twitter.com/8jYxfohLlj
— Luís Figo (@LuisFigo)
Fans noticing the replicated messages voiced their distaste, with one account writing: “Copy and paste… feelings of lies”.
“That’s just beyond disrespectful,” another added. “If you didn’t care enough about Kobe to spend 30 seconds of your time to write some honest & nice words, just write nothing.”
As pointed out by other users, the likelihood is that the pair share the same social media account managers, but a sour taste has been left nonetheless.
The Evening Standard has contacted representatives for Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Figo for comment.
