Bayern Munich Makes Swift U Turn After Breaking Several Years of Tradition for Lionel Messi

• Bayern Munich have made a sensational U-turn on a gesture towards Lionel Messi
• The Bundesliga champions made the 'odd' choice of following Messi on Instagram
• However, the club appears to have had a change of heart, rescinding the decision

Bayern Munich appears to have rescinded the decision to break years of tradition in a heartfelt gesture to Lionel Messi.

The club has a history of exclusively following players who have donned their jerseys on social media. However, this norm was briefly broken to include the Argentine maestro.

Bayern breaks protocol to follow Messi

Eagle-eyed social media users noticed a minor uptick in Bayern's Instagram following, climbing from 61 to 62, with the club appearing to have followed Messi.

This marked a departure from their custom, making the Argentine captain the first player the club followed to not have featured for the Bavarians, as per Tribuna.

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While the reason for this shift remains uncertain, some theories - supported by the publication - have suggested that Messi's dedication of his Instagram Story to Bayern legend, Franz Beckenbauer, who recently passed away, might have influenced the decision.

Bayern makes a U-turn following Messi

However, moments later, the Bavarians reverted to their traditional practice, unfollowing Messi and returning their following count to 61 on the app, as noted by Essentially Sports.

The rationale behind this reversal remains unclear - it could have been due to fan pressure or an attempt to avoid reigniting the enduring debate between Messi and his rival, Cristiano Ronaldo.

As a result, neither of the two veterans are currently followed by Bayern Munich on Instagram, despite both of the football icons crossing paths with the Bundesliga giants on multiple occasions.

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Ronaldo has notably fared well against Bayern, winning five, drawing once, and losing the rest of his eight encounters, scoring nine goals in the process, according to Transfermarkt.

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Conversely, Messi has witnessed a different outcome, losing five times and winning just twice in eight outings. He has contributed four goals and two assists against the Bavarians.

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Bayern star 'endorses' Messi as GOAT

Previously, Sports Brief highlighted Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies posting a snapshot of Paris Saint-Germain's number 30 shirt on Instagram during his visit to Canada.

This social media move sparked a wide number of interpretations from fans of the Bundesliga giants, with many viewing it as an endorsement of Messi as football's GOAT.