The internet can be a very strange, and very dark, place at times.
Seemingly, somebody can just fabricate a story about a professional footballer being found dead in his home, and it will spread around social media getting a lot of people very worried.
That is unfortunately what happened on Halloween as word that French international footballer Mathieu Valbuena was dead geathered so much pace that his club Lyon were forced to release a statement confirming he was, in fact, alive.
A mixture of people claiming the news to be true and others not sure what to make of the suggestion first popped up late on Sunday night.
The french international soccer Mathieu Valbuena found dead in is home. He dies at 32
Rest in peace pic.twitter.com/1UY7vH71Ub— Dylan (@BenMende23) October 30, 2016
#valbuena is dead pic.twitter.com/EuobtO07jc
— أمجد موراتا (@7_Amjad_) October 30, 2016
Damn, Valbuena is dead? Guess Benzema really is a gunman. pic.twitter.com/kX6wWsO3ev
— kg.m/s² (@victorSmoses) October 30, 2016
Valbuena isn't actually dead is he?
— Toby Irish (@TobyIrish1) October 30, 2016
Valbuena cant be dead can he? Seems to be rumours surfacing. Or a sick joke
— David (@swanny_83) October 30, 2016
Valbuena is dead???? Really????
— Eshin Monaco (@5nBOI) October 31, 2016
What's with this rumour about valbuena been dead ?? it'd better stay a rumor
— Pacman? (@king_papitulo) October 31, 2016
Valbuena is not a popular man in Marseille having recently joined bitter rivals Lyon, and also came in for criticism for his involvement in the sex-tape scandal that saw both himself and Karim Benzema frozen out of the France national team, but there is absolutely no place for this type of nonsense and Lyon made it perfectly clear how little they thought of those who spread the damaging rumours.
Mathieu Valbuena is fortunately alive contrary to what vile individuals peddle on Twitter. Olympique Lyonnais is horrified of such a shameful and inhuman act.
Mathieu Valbuena est heureusement bien vivant contrairement à ce que d’ignobles individus colportent sur twitter. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/AP6TlFgEJg
— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) October 31, 2016
L’Olympique Lyonnais est horrifié devant de tels agissement honteux et inhumains. (2/2)
— Olympique Lyonnais (@OL) October 31, 2016
Horrible stuff altogether.
When the club has to step in and call a halt to the rumours, you know it has well and truly gone too far. Sadly, this type of shite is nothing new to social media, and we doubt this will be the last fake death spread around places like Twitter.
[via 101greatgoals.com]
