Injury and Social Media Message
Former Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has suffered a cruciate ligament injury, sustained during a Champions League fixture against Barcelona. Following the news, his former club Napoli posted a message on their Italian X account wishing him well, which subsequently led to confusion due to an auto-translation error.
The message from Napoli read: “In bocca al lupo Khvicha, ti aspettiamo presto in campo!” This Italian phrase is commonly used to wish someone good luck, translating literally to “in the wolf’s mouth.” However, X’s automatic translation feature rendered the crucial part of the message as “Break a leg, Khvicha, we look forward to seeing you back on the pitch soon.”
A Misunderstood Greeting
The auto-translated phrase, “Break a leg,” is an English idiom for good luck, often used in performance contexts, but it caused bewilderment among social media users. Many commented on the post, highlighting the perceived insensitivity of wishing a player to “break a leg” after he had just suffered a serious knee injury. The misunderstanding stemmed from the literal translation failing to capture the idiomatic meaning of the Italian expression.
Kvaratskhelia is now scheduled to undergo surgery for the cruciate ligament injury. The 25-year-old Georgian international had a significant and memorable impact during his time at Napoli, where he became a fan favourite. He scored 30 goals in 107 appearances for the club and was a pivotal figure in the squad that famously won the 2022-23 Serie A title under manager Luciano Spalletti. His move to French giants PSG occurred in January 2025, marking a new chapter in his career before this unfortunate setback.