They may have been ruthless when they ripped Lyon apart last night but Barcelona showed their compassionate side when one heroic fan had the opportunity of a lifetime at the Camp Nou. Have a look!
Barcelona progressed to the quarter-final of the Champions League on Wednesday night with a 4-2 aggregate win over Olympique Lyon. Their goals were courtesy of Leo Messi, Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez.
But the Catalan club took to their Twitter Account to share the remarkable story of the American teenager, Anthony Borges.
17 students were ruthlessly murdered by an armed gunman on 14 February 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, USA. Anthony Borges heroically stepped in to ensure that the number did not increase by a benevolent act of selflessness.
Borges ushered 20 of his classmates into a classroom where they could take cover. He held the door shut with the determined gunman trying to get in. His classmates were unharmed, The same, however, could not be said for him. The 16-year old was brutally shot 5 times in his back and his limbs and after months of medical treatment and fighting for his life, the teenager recovered.
His story quickly gained traction around the world and the Spanish club heard his story with help from a journalist. Borges was a football fanatic and was part of the Barça academy in Florida. The club got in touch with his family to offer help.
The club’s former vice-president, Manuel Arroyo visited Borges in his home in Florida during his recovery period and invited him to the Nou Camp once he was fully recovered.
The Blaugrana went above and beyond and the Barça academy players sent Borges numerous messages of hope and support.
That was not all. The story of Borges, who is a huge football fan, was heard by the side's first-team players, who all signed a special t-shirt with the teenager’s name on it.
Borges visited the Camp Nou when the Catalans took on Lyon in the ChaLeague league. The American and his family also received the opportunity to visit the stadium and the museum the following day and thereafter he would meet the Barça players during their training session.
Barcelona proved that their moniker 'More than just a club' is indeed true.
What do you think of the Anthony Borges story?