A very strange story has emerged after Manchester United and Portugal winger Nani failed to show up for two public appearances in the town of Magherafelt in Derry on Saturday.
Nani, who spent last season on loan at Sporting Lisbon, was scheduled to appear at events at outdoor adventure centre Jungle NI and Meadowbank sports centre, but the events were called off almost two hours after he was supposed to show.
The reason? He went on the piss in Magherafelt on Friday night.
The Mirror have reported that Nani went out for drinks with the locals on Friday night, and this did not sit with with the Portuguese FA, who put him on a plane the following morning. The newspaper also described the reaction as follows:
He was unable to fulfil scheduled appearances at Magherafelt’s outdoor adventure centre Jungle NI and Meadowbank sports centre, leaving hundreds of children devastated.
Hundreds of children... Devastated? It paints a picture of a sports centre packed with children bawling their eyes out, inconsolable at the fact that they can't meet their hero, Nani.
Midulstermail.co.uk are toting a similar line about the disappointment of the kids, and also spoke to local mother Mary Mullan who had this to say:
We thought it was starting at 10am but half ten would have been good.
It’s not good at all that he didn’t come - It’s a disgrace. I’m leaving now before I get really cross.
Thankfully Mary managed to save herself from getting "really cross", others, however, were not so lucky.
But were the kids really that upset? Not according to a Boards.ie user by the name of Fenix who just happens to live in Magherafelt and gave his far more reasonable account of the weekend's happenings:
I live in Magherafelt.
Turned up at a nightclub Friday night, doubt he had more than a couple of drinks, all photo's with people annoying the dick off him.
Went for a fry Saturday morning.
****ed off home instead of going to local sports arena "fun day".
The public outcry being described is little more than a few disgruntled parents venting over social media about their kids being dissappoined.
All quite funny really.
Arrived on Friday, went on the piss, in the horrors the next day, grabbed a quick fry, got on the plane he was ordered to get on. Wasted the time of a few locals.
Not quite "devastation" in fairness. Still, it'll be a long time before Nani is welcomed back in Magherafelt.
