By Chris Wright
There was a point, roughly 76-and-a-bit minutes into last night’s Champions League semi-final between Barcelona and Bayern Munich, that Lionel Messi yanked down Jerome Boateng’s big boy shorts and paddled his little buttocks until they took on a pink-ish hue in front of the entire watching world.
One-on-one with the best player in the world and running backwards, Boateng was put on his undercarriage by a devastating jink from Messi, who proceeded to swan through on goal and plink a perfect chip over Manuel Neuer as if he wasn’t even there.
As you might imagine, the internet – such is its collective wont – has not been kind to the poor, stricken Bayern centre-back since.
Here’s a small compendium of the best of the pithy meme-age.
Only Fools and Boateng…
Pretzel legs…
Could take a while for Jerome Boateng to get those legs untangled… #Messi pic.twitter.com/zSiyW2FpIT
— Mark Donaldson (@DonaldsonESPN) May 6, 2015
Sniper on the grassy knoll…
Lo que realmente sucedio con #Boateng #Messi #Cadera #KO #CampNou #MetaBerlin #Semifinal #Genio pic.twitter.com/5IX1a2AEo9
— Andres (Delko) (@ElAndrescruz) May 7, 2015
Beware the pit…
Otra perspectiva del golazo de Messi pic.twitter.com/wqphESHPwE
— RotoChop (@RotoChop_) May 6, 2015
State of the art CGI analysis…
Let’s have a closer look at the state Messi’s left Boateng in here pic.twitter.com/3UPIxz7NFe
— Brenzie (@Brenzie) May 6, 2015
The now obligatory ‘RKO OUTTA NOWHERE’…
RKO’d OUTTA NOWHERE on Jérôme Boateng pic.twitter.com/bICAGk4gKI
— Footy Jokes (@Footy_Jokes) May 6, 2015
Jamie Redknapp questions the legality of Messi’s jink…
Time of death…
#Boateng : “dramatic night in Barcelona” [1988 † 2015] pic.twitter.com/WzQnoktq8j
— Somar (@SOMAR009) May 6, 2015
May his memory live on forever…
Congratulations to Jerome Boateng on becoming a meme.
— James Maw (@JamesMawFFT) May 6, 2015
The poor lamb.