Surprise! He's alive. What a year it's been for Mathieu Valbuena. After battling injuries and scandals, he was left off the France squad due to injury, and, of course, fans theorized that he must be dead.
Almost immediately following his removal from the squad, images of a fake death certificate began circulating twitter, and fans began spreading the rumor that the French midfielder had passed away, forcing his club to address the rumor on Twitter:
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
And this latest rumor only adds insult to injury, as Valbuena has had a heck of a year.
Last November, we were shocked as Valbuena was the victim of blackmail regarding his alleged sex tape, resulting in the arrest of teammate Karim Benzema. The scandal resulted in Valbuena being left out of France’s Euro 2016 squad, a squad he has struggled to break back into as he has battled injuries. Most recently, Valbuena has sustained a separated shoulder and released a statement on his facebook explaining the three week recovery.
"This will not affect my determination to return to the highest level and to be available for my club," Valbuena wrote. "My motivation to get on the pitch and to dedicate myself to OL is still intact."
With all that he has dealt with, it is reassuring to he's still determined to make things right.